Hypocrisy
by Shitz-Suji
Summary: "Now it's over and you're one day older. Understanding that your heart is colder." Is it really though? A year later from Season 1 plot. Robin/OC, touch of Spitfire and SuperMartian if you squint.
1. Chapter 1

Hi there~

Disclaimer: Young Justice and the setting belongs to their respective creators and owners. Shitz-Suji only owns the plot and OC. Enjoy~

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><p>"Come here darling. I won't bite." A moment later, a small trembling girl staggered across the dim, gloomy cell towards the speaker. Green arms pulled the figure into the embrace of Poison Ivy. "It's going to all right," the villainess cooed.<p>

The girl managed to wriggle her arms out of the straitjacket that bound her and return Poison Ivy's embrace. "It's going to be all right darling. Just let it all out." She gently stroked the girl's nest of raggedy hair as a small sob was released. "Good girl . . ."

A protective sphere of leaves and flowers enveloped them both to make sure the sounds never reached the guards of Arkham Asylum.

(Four Years Later)

"Darling, rise and shine," a gentle voice crooned. Poison Ivy prodded her cellmate in an attempt to wake her up. "Come on, it's a very important day!"

The girl stirred and sat up on the mangy cot. "Happy birthday," Ivy exclaimed. If the girl was still sleepy, she was wide awake now. "I- I'm fourteen now," she whispered. "Yes," Ivy cheered and produced a bouquet of flowers.

Ivy gasped in surprise as the girl jumped off the cot and hugged her. "Thank you . . .," she said. Ivy reciprocated the hug. "Anything for you, darling . . ."

"Breakfast time," the guard outside bellowed. The girl quickly hid the flowers under the itchy gray blanket as the bolt on the door clanked and slid open. "Hurry up," the guard growled.

Fourteen, the girl thought. It had been four years since her decent into madness. How many more before she wasted away? The guards pushed them both into the mess hall and gestured at the dart guns they carried as a show of bravado. Ivy handed her a tray and the workers slapped some unidentifiable slop on their trays.

They took a seat and began eating. "Here, have some my toast, darling. Can't have you passing out today," Ivy said as she picked up the burnt bread and began tearing at it. "N-no, it's fine. You eat it." But Ivy was already putting the pieces on top of the slop in an artfully manner.

Suddenly the guards turned to their direction. "Good morning, ladies," said one pasty face clown. His female counterpart, Harley Quinn waved her fork at them and took a seat next to the girl.

"Heard it was your birthday, Hon. Congrats," she giggled. The Joker stretched his ghastly grin further, revealing pointed yellow teeth. While Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy were chatting away, the Joker looked up from his watery eggs and took a piece of paper from his sleeve. "For you, kiddo. Birthday card . . . from me and the missus. Read it back in your room. Got it," he drawled.

The guard nearby snatched the piece of paper away from the Joker and read it. After confirming that it was really a birthday card, he threw it to the girl and resumed his post. "Here's another," the Joker said and put a piece of paper on her lap. "Same rules apply," he cackled and took his tray to the trash bin. The girl quickly shoved the other piece of paper into her sleeve and followed suit.

After Ivy and the girl were led back into their cell, she pulled the paper out and handed it to the villainess. She scanned it over and immediately smirked at the girl. "This is gonna be the best birthday of your life," she giggled.

The girl took the paper and read it. Yes, she thought, this birthday will be one to remember. The Joker and his cohorts were organizing an escape from Arkham and he told them how fond of them he had become and would like them both to go with him to freedom . . . in his confusing, twisted way. Now, all they had to do was wait.

(Mount Justice, December 14, 2011. 5:00)

"Aww man, we're outta nacho cheese already," a certain red-headed speedster whined. He then dashed around the kitchen, rummaging through all the cabinets in the process. "You mean _you're_ out of nacho cheese," Artemis said, "The rest of us don't eat that stuff.

"BATMAN, 0-2"

The two rushed out of the kitchen and joined Megan, Conner, Robin, and Kaldur the main hall. The Batman was already there, his scowl more evident than ever. "Robin, breakout in Arkham," he growled and stormed off towards the zeta-beams.

"Sorry guys, Dynamic Duo thing," Robin said as he ran past them. "Hey dude! Could you bring back some more nacho cheese," Wally called.

(Arkham Asylum, December 14, 2011. 5:30)

"Down on the ground," one guard ordered. The Joker held up his hand in mock surrender. "Why can't it ever be up in the air," he drawled. WHAM! Killer Croc sent the man flying across the corridor. Harley Quinn whistled. "New record, sugar."

Poison Ivy and the girl ran past them to the exit door. "Come on, this isn't time to be joking," she snapped. Although the Joker and Harley Quinn look offended, they caught up to her and Killer Croc broke down the front entrance of the Asylum. "Let's move," the lizard hissed.

The group joined up with Mr. Freeze and together, they left a trail of unconscious guards, ice, and plant vines. But there were more coming at them. "Freeze, take the girl and make sure that gate is opened. Croc here will help," Ivy yelled as she dodged the laser shots.

Mr. Freeze grabbed the girl by her forearm and yanked her to the titanium steel gate. "You an ice user," he asked as an icy beam erupted from his hands. The girls nodded slowly as she added her own to his. "Hurry up, there's no time for chit-chattin," Killer Croc yelled.

"Done. Your turn," Freeze said dismissively. He pulled the girl out of the way for good measure as the lizard began hammering on the frozen metal. Within three blows, there was a gaping hole where metal use to be. "Let's go," he yelled to the remainder of the group. Killer Croc jumped through first, then Freeze threw the girl out and then himself. Poison Ivy, Joker, and Harley Quinn followed afterwards.

"There's an escape route through a cave in the forest. It's just a few kilometers from here," Freeze said as they were running. And for good measure too. Not far behind them, they could hear men yelling and search dogs snarl and bark.

They probably ran about half a mile before something in black jumped in front of them. "Joker," it said darkly. "Batsy," the Joker said back in the same tone mockingly. Killer Croc had left them behind and took off. The women were about to turn and run the other way when another caped crusader blocked off their path.

"Hello, Ladies," he smirked. Harley Quinn charged at Robin with a sickeningly sweet grin on her face, but Robin easily took her out with a sweeping kick. "My turn," Ivy said. Tree roots burst of the ground and headed for the Boy Wonder's head. He jumped out of the way and balled his fists up for a punch meant for Poison Ivy's face, but a wall of ice stopped him. "What th-"

Harley Quinn got right back up and hit Robin on his side. He doubled over, clutching his sore ribs. Meanwhile, Mr. Freeze and Joker were evenly matched with the Batman, who was swiftly dodging the potentially lethal attacks meant for his vital points.

This isn't working, Robin thought. Every time, he tried to land a punch or kick or throw a batarang, his attacks would always be blocked by a wall of solid ice that would be shattered when either one of the villainesses tried to get him. He grounded himself from another attack and launched himself in the air.

The girl's mouth opened in shock as she felt the vigilante's footwear graze her face. "How dare you," Ivy shrieked. She ran over to the girl and pointed her hand towards a nearby maple tree. The trunk became elongated and shot towards them. "Get on", Ivy yelled.

Harley Quinn quickly latched herself on one of the braches and blew a raspberry at Robin. "Bye, bye, birdie," she taunted. They passed by the men's showdown and Harley Quinn quickly grabbed the Joker's collar. "Missed you," she giggled and planted a kiss on his red lips. Freeze grunted as he righted himself on the tree branch.

Robin and Batman jumped onto the trunk and tried to keep their balance on the slippery bark as the trunk whizzed through the forest. Batman nodded at Robin and they both took out their Batarangs and threw them upward at the group of villains.

BOOM! The resulting explosion threw all five off the trunk and into separate directions. The girl was violently ejected from her place next to Ivy and hit a nearby tree with an audible thud. The other four luckily, had jumped off before the explosion could hit them and were a few meters away from the cave and exit route.

"Let's go", Freeze grunted and ran off towards the cave. "Wait, I need to go back," Ivy yelled. Her green eyes searched the forest for her charge. "Siobhan!"

Robin cocked his head as he heard Ivy's outburst. "Siobhan? That's a cool name," he said out loud. Batman narrowed his eyes at him and continued running in the voice's direction.

The girl known as Siobhan stirred at the sound of her name. Her vision was blurry and her head pounded. She realized she had hit her head when the explosion had blown her away. "Siobhan," Ivy screamed again. But this time, her voice seemed to be getting fainter and fainter.

Over in the distance, Siobhan could see Harley Quinn and Joker drag Ivy into the cave. "Ivy," Siobhan called back. She tried to get up, but stumbled. "Wait, I have to go back. Let me go," Ivy said. With terror-filled eyes, Ivy was dragged inside the cave at last. "SIOBHAN!"

"NO," Siobhan screamed. The only person who cared about her, who was like her sister was gone, the only person who believed that she was wholesomely sane was gone. No . . . someone please, she thought. Please let someone tell her that this was all one big, cruel joke.

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><p>Yes, this is a short chapter, but Shitz-Suji had to start off somewhere, right? Anyways, if you like it please review and maybe give me some friendly suggestions~ :D<p>


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Shitz-Suji does not own Young Justice, only the plot and OC.

**Shitz-Suji:** Just want to clarify that this this my first real attempt at writing a romance fanfiction. Ok, that's enough clarification. Enjoy~

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><p>(East Gotham, December 14, 1997)<p>

"Out of fourteen attempts, you were the only success. Mankind will have newer, better heroes protecting the world and it'll have to answer to me and my soon-to-be created army of genetically enhanced meta-humans," the Doctor gloated, "and you'll be my crowning gem, S10B14N."

The Doctor looked at his creation, a Doll the size of a young child and expected an answer of agreement. Instead, when the Doll opened its perfectly sculpted mouth, it said, "I have learned about the greed of Humankind through you, father. And I have no desire to be a tool of the man who murdered his daughter thirteen times for mere wealth."

Quickly, the Doctor chuckled and walked over to his creation. "My dear S10B14N, I believe that you have no say in this matter and as a . . . concerned father, I must rid you of these unsavory thoughts." He reached into his lab coat and pulled out a small control and pressed a button on it. An electrical current ran through the cable that connected the Doll to an IV and heart monitor.

To his surprise, the Doll was unfazed by the electricity coursing through its body. "The thirteen memories of my brief lifetimes contain enough pain to dwarf your punishment, father," it said in monotone. It ripped off the electrodes attached to its head, neck and body and slowly walked towards the Doctor. "You gave me the ability to learn and think, to observe and for that, I am grateful, father. But with each body of mine you've destroyed, I feel that I have repaid your favor . . ."

The room the two was in suddenly chilled and the heart monitor froze in a solid block of ice and shattered. "You see, father, I would like to see a world of color, not one waiting on you hand and foot. No blood shall be shed, except for one," the Doll said flatly and put a hand on the Doctor's chest.

The Doctor gave a hoarse gasp and croaked, "Activate . . . S10B14N termination 18S92L72."

(Mount Justice, December 16, 2011. 8:32 p.m)

Siobhan woke up with a start and winced as a wave of dull pain throbbed in her head. Her last memories suddenly flooded her mind: Ivy disappearing, the costumed Duo attacking her, her retaliating, gradual defeat, Robin sneaking up behind her and thrusting something under her nose, and sweetness.

Which begs the question, where was she? She was lying on an actual bed with warm blankets and there were no fluorescent lights hanging above her. There was no point in attempting to get up because her ribs were obviously bruised and hurt when she tried. But she caught pieces of furniture here and there in her new room. It was a nice change from the dreary cell she occupied in Arkham.

Siobhan was musing over her thoughts when the door from her far right opened and someone walked in. The smell of freshly baked pastries wafted in after the person as he or she approached the bed. "Hey, are you awake," the person asked. It was a girl and she was tall . . . and had green skin.

She smiled when she saw Siobhan's open eyes. "You had a pretty bad concussion. I'm just here to change the bandages," she said lamely. With great effort, Siobhan lifted herself up and sat against the headboard to make the girl's job easier. "I'm M'gann by the way. You can call me Megan," the girl or now Megan said."

"My name is Siobhan," she replied." As Megan was unraveling her bandages, Siobhan's stomach rumbled. "Hungry, aren't you," the green-skinned girl chuckled. Siobhan nodded slowly, ashamed that her digestive system betrayed her dignity. "I got some cookies in the oven, you want some," Megan asked kindly.

Siobhan nodded again and winced as Megan started tightening the new bandages on her head. "May I ask where am I," Siobhan asked politely. "I'm sorry," Megan replied.

"Then perhaps, may I ask how I got here?" Megan brightened, glad that she had a question she could answer. "Batman brought you here two days ago. You were in pretty bad shape," she said, "my cookies should be done by now. I'll go get you a plate."

To Siobhan's immense surprise, Megan floated up in the air and flew out the door. Since the door was still open, Siobhan thought it meant she was allowed to follow Megan to her cookies. So she willed a small amount of water vapor to solidify underneath her and float up into the air. Once she got through the door, she willed the platform of ice to follow the scent of freshly baked cookies through a maze of hallways. Along the way, the platform was absorbing the water vapor and was expanding to the size of a small glacier. She finally found her way to a very large and luxurious looking kitchen where Megan was icing a few cookies on plate probably meant for her.

"Hello," Siobhan said quietly. The container of icing that was floating in the air almost fell as Megan looked up in surprise. "You should be in bed," she chided once she got over her surprise. Siobhan didn't say anything as she watched Megan return to icing her cookies. "You are Martian," Siobhan stated after a few moments.

Megan smiled and the plate of cookies floated onto her lap. "Yeah, hey you want some milk with your cookies," she replied. Siobhan made a wine glass out ice and made it float over to Megan. She looked at the glass questionably, but summoned a carton of milk from the fridge. "You can control ice," Megan said curiously. Siobhan nodded.

"What else can you do," Megan asked as she made the glass float back to Siobhan. Something cold fluttered near Megan's face and pecked at her freckles. Upon closer observation, it was a sparrow made entirely of ice, but it was fluttering its wings like a real bird. "How cute," Megan exclaimed as the bird landed on her head.

"Thank you," Siobhan replied and made the platform float closer to the Martian. "Your cookies were delicious," she said as she handed the plate back to Megan. The girl grinned as she took the plate and the sparrow began fluttering around her head. Siobhan downed the glass of cold milk and flung the glass at the wall. She watched in satisfaction as it shattered on impact.

Megan looked slightly annoyed at the mess Siobhan created, but went back to her cheerful demeanor as the glass turned back into vapor. "Could you not do that next time," she asked Siobhan. "Do what," a male voice asked behind Siobhan.

A large wolf looked up at Siobhan and growled. "Down, Wolf," the male voice said and walked past Siobhan. A plate fully loaded with cookies floated over to him as Megan got him a glass of milk. "Siobhan, this is Conner, Conner, this is Siobhan," Megan chirped as she pointed at the two. "Hello," Siobhan said. Conner nodded at her and turned back to his cookies. Meanwhile, the Wolf stared at her with its large gold eyes. "Oh, that's Wolf. He's gentle as long as you don't hurt him," Megan said. She gave a small smile as Siobhan reluctantly reached out and petted Wolf on the head.

The canine let out a coarse growl and shifted his head closer to Siobhan's hand. "I think he likes you," Megan giggled. Conner chugged his glass of milk and looked at the sparrow jumping around Megan's head of red hair. He yelled in surprise as a larger bird formed on the counter next to him.

"Don't worry. It won't hurt you," Siobhan reassured and returned to petting Wolf. She extended the small glacier platform so Wolf could climb on and she could pet him without having him extend his neck so much. Megan laughed as the sparrow jumped of her head and landed next to the slightly larger bird with a small ting.

Conner turned to her and frowned. "How did you do that," he asked. Clearly he had not noticed what she was sitting on. "With imagination," Siobhan said seriously. She pointed a finger at the floor next to him and from the tip sprang a smaller version of Wolf made of ice. It cocked its head at him and gave him that same look it had given her.

Wolf growled at it, obviously not happy at the sight of his "competition". He turned his head back to Siobhan when she made it shatter to pieces. "Cool," Conner acknowledged. Megan smiled at him and then turned to her. "Would you like some more cookies," she asked eagerly.

Siobhan liked the kindness the Martian girl has shown her so far and couldn't find a way to refuse her offer. "Yes, I would. Would you like to see more of my imagination . . ."

(Mount Justice, December 16, 2011. 9:54 p.m)

"Robin, B-01"

"Artemis, B-07"

"Kid Flash, B-03"

"You certainly handed that situation well," Wally teased as he pointed to the large stuffed panda in Artemis's arms. She smirked and thrust it into his arms. "Here you go, Kid Mouth. Since you couldn't win your own prize." Wally grunted as the impact of the stuffed toy hit him and made him stumble at bit.

"Sweet," he declared and hugged it, "never had a girl give me a present as sweet as this . . . if you know what I mean." Artemis laughed and playfully punched him in the arm.

"Hey, minor in the house," Robin quipped. He brushed past them with a load of carnival food and toys in his arms. "Dude, are you going to share those corndogs," Wally called after him. "You cleaned out my whole wallet and you're asking for my share. That's cold dude," Robin said teasingly. If on cue, all three of them were his by a blast of cold air.

"That's ironic," Wally said. Artemis and Robin looked at him. "You think," Artemis quipped as she ran towards the kitchen. Robin and Wally looked at each other and rushed to the kitchen behind her. With each step they took, it seemed that the air got colder and colder.

Artemis stopped as she ran a corner and faced the kitchen. "Whoa," she whispered. Wally stopped behind her and put down his panda. "That's cool," he said, "pun intended." Megan and Conner had their backs turned towards them, they were clearly whispering to each other and then they laughed.

Robin could see a third person saying something and then Megan bursting into laughter. "Dude, isn't that the chick Batman brought from Arkham," Wally whispered. Conner whispered something to Megan, who turned around and face them or rather what she was sitting on turned around.

"Hey guys, did you guys have fun at your carnival," she asked brightly. "Yeah, but Wally here was too weak to win anything here though," Robin replied. He kept looking at the girl to make sure she wasn't going to try anything. Even though the Batman brought her to the cave, he didn't like his friends being to close to potential danger.

Wally nudged him for his comment. "I got you guys something," Robin announced and brandished the large amount of stuffed animals and food he held. The girl leaned forward and whispered something to Megan and Conner, who both got of their large floating glacier. A sheet of shiny glass rose behind the girl and dragged in her and the platform into it.

"Wait-" Wally began as he saw the cracks forming on the smooth surface. They winced as the sheet broke apart along with the platform Megan and Conner were sitting on. The shards dissolved from a solid to vapor and disappeared. Moments later, a cold blast of air blew past them and numbed their faces.

Robin set all his winnings on the kitchen counter and took a cookie from a tray. It was surprisingly warm. "Hey Miss M, Supey. Help yourselves," he grinned as he gestured to the heaping pile.

Instantly, Wally rushed over to the counter and began gorging himself on Megan's cookies and the nacho's Robin couldn't finish. Artemis watched in amusement as Wally almost choked by eating three corndogs at once. "Hey, Megan. What's that," she asked and pointed to Megan's head.

A glass sparrow was jumping around her hair and she wore a glass circlet around her head. Conner was wearing a slightly bigger circlet on his head and took it off when Wally gave him a teasing grin. "Siobhan made these for us. Aren't they pretty," Megan gushed. She gestured at the details on her circlet and the sparrow jumped onto her hand.

"Shiv-who," Artemis asked. "We were playing a game with her a moment ago," Conner said matter-of-factly. "Oh, you mean that girl Batman brought back from Arkham," Wally said. "Asylum," Megan asked.

Robin nodded and put down his cookie. "Is she dangerous," Conner asked suddenly. Wally deadpanned and lowered the stick of fried banana he held in his hand. "Dude, she froze half of Robin's arm."

Technically, when Robin shoved the chloroform under her nose, she began freezing. When he touched the thin layer of ice, it crawled up his arm and stopped when she was out cold. It had taken Alfred almost three hours to get his arm back to the way it was though. "If Batman trusts her, then I trust her," he said confidently, even though he didn't trust himself.

"So her name is 'Shiv-On'? Cool name," Wally declared. Robin grinned. He had said almost the exact same thing two days ago.

(Mount Justice, December 23, 2011)

Over the past few days, Siobhan stayed in her room to recover. She wondered why the Batman brought her here. If Megan or Conner wouldn't tell her where she was then it must have been very important. But he could have brought her to a hospital, where her wounds would have been treated and she would have been brought back to Arkham's infirmary. After that would have been constant surveillance and weekly psychoanalysis sessions with the therapists.

But in a way, she was glad she was here. Megan and Conner have been very kind to her and she had found a friend in Wolf, who constantly wanders into her room and would let her pet him for hours. It made the yearning for the small Eden Ivy had created for the both of them a bit less.

(Wayne Manor, December 23, 2011 10:43 p.m)

"Master Dick, Master Bruce called for you," Alfred said politely. "For what," Dick said impatiently as he looked up from his homework. "I believe he wishes to see you," Alfred said and left the living room.

Dick sighed and closed his Biology book. He made his way to Bruce's study and opened the double doors. Inside was his guardian, typing away furiously on his fragile looking laptop. "Bruce," Dick asked, "You wanted something?"

Bruce looked away from his screen and at him. "I want to talk you about Siobhan," he said stiffly. Dick walked in and closed the door. "Ok, I wanna know why you didn't ship her back to Arkham," he said seriously.

" There is no records of any Siobhan in Arkham. No arrest or incarceration dates. Only the reports from the therapists and psychiatrists exist. The warden found her one day on the doorstep and tried to redirect her to the Orphanage, but Siobhan's powers destroyed half the buildings. Thankfully no one was hurt," Bruce explained.

Dick looked skeptically at Bruce and knew he still hiding something. "Keep going," he gestured. "She was declared legally insane for two months. After that, she fell into a severe case of depression. But it only lasted for four months. Nothing else is wrong with her," he said.

"That still doesn't answer my question. You just told me her backstory," Dick huffed. "If Siobhan was really a danger to the general public, she would be sent to Belle Reve," Bruce replied and continued to type. "But she isn't, they only put her in Arkham because of her powers, right," Dick said.

Bruce nodded. "An orphanage was not enough to hold her in, but Belle Reve would kill her. So her home was Arkham Asylum. But why was she declared legally insane for the first two month," Dick asked. Bruce looked away, "Arkham just has that reputation."

"So what are we suppose to do about this?"

(Mount Justice, December 23, 2011 11:25 p.m)

"Is that jacket hurting you, Darling," Ivy asked. The girl she held in her arms nodded slowly. Ivy took a large sharp piece of wood from a nearby plant and slashed the belts and harnesses that bound the girl's arms and legs. The leather straps fell to the ground and Ivy took the girl's wrists into her own.

Bright, angry red cuts from the harnesses began bleeding. Although, it was not that much blood flowing out of the cuts, it was very painful. Ivy wrapped long leaves around them and the cuts began to sting and then they numbed. Ivy did the same for her ankles and then kissed the girl on the cheek.

"It's going to be alright, Darling. I'll always be here for you."

Siobhan woke up and tore the bandages off her arm by impulse. The last time she relived her past was almost three years ago when they put her in the straitjackets. She glanced at the shallow cuts and welts on her arm from her confrontation with Batman and Robin. They were almost the same shade of red from being disturbed and some threatened to start bleeding.

She reached for the box of tissues on the nightstand and began tying them around her arm as a makeshift bandage. It reminded her of the fake casts Harley Quinn and she made a year ago to earn some sympathy from the guards so they can gain an extra thirty minutes outside. Siobhan frowned. She pulled on the tissues gently and pulled the covers over her shoulders. Hopefully, there will no more trips down memory lane for tonight.

(Wayne Manor, December 24, 2011. 12:07 a.m)

"We could try putting her back in the Orphanage," Dick suggested. Bruce frowned at his ward, "we can't risk another building destroyed. Gotham doesn't have enough time to rebuild an Orphanage before the winter is over."

"So our solution to this problem has to be anything but Arkham or the Orphanage," Dick asked. He then glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of Bruce's study. "You think about it. I have to finish my homework," Dick said hurriedly and rushed off the study. He groaned mentally at the pile of work that still awaited him in his backpack.

(Mount Justice, December 25, 2011. 9:32 a.m)

Megan and Conner were out with their friends on Christmas day. Siobhan had made something for them both and swore not to fool around when they were gone. So right now, she was in the kitchen enjoying a carton of caramel ice cream, a treat she had recently discovered.

Beside her was Wolf, asleep and snarling silently. His breath smelled like decaying meat, a smell that reminded her greatly of Killer Croc. Siobhan finished the carton of ice cream and went back into the kitchen to get another.

"Black Canary, 0-12"

"Green Arrow, 0-8"

The merry laughter of a man and woman echoed throughout the cave and Siobhan got off her seat and hid on the other side of the counter so no one could see her when they passed by. The laughter got closer and closer and Siobhan found it increasingly difficult to stop spooning mouthfuls of ice cream in a futile attempt to calm her down.

"Hi," a friendly voice said from above her. A man peered over the kitchen counter and looked at her. "I see you got ice cream," he said mischieviously. "Get off the counter," the woman said teasingly. The man's head retreated from her view and Siobhan heard the counter squeaking as he shuffled off it, proof that Megan's cleaning routines were very effective.

In a few seconds, the man and woman smiled down at her in amusement as she almost crushed the nearly empty container with a steel grip. "Careful there," the woman said, "Kaldur just cleaned the floor."

The man helped Siobhan off the floor. "I'm Green Arrow and this lovely lady here is Black Canary. Are you new here," he asked seriously. Siobhan shook her head. She had no idea what they meant and their names sounded like code names. "What are you doing here on Christmas," Black Canary asked.

"Eating," Siobhan said and pointed at the wastebasket where three other cartons were. Green Arrow whistled, "That could have made Flash proud." Black Canary took the carton away and directed Siobhan to the restroom around the corner. But Siobhan had literally nothing to clean except the sticky residual of melted ice cream from her fingers.

She emerged from the bathroom a bit cleaner than before and Black Canary frowned. "When's the last time you got a haircut," she asked. For the first time, feelings of insecurity washed over Siobhan as she took in the two posh people's appearance. "A while," she replied.

"Wait, you're the kid Batman brought back from Arkham," Green Arrow pointed out. Siobhan disliked what he said. She was bought here without her consent and it was almost a week and she still didn't know where she was. Thankfully, Black Canary ignored his comment and proceeded to fawn over her appearance.

"Nothing a haircut and new clothes can't fix," she smiled."Excuse me," Siobhan asked. "It's Christmas. You should be spending it with someone. Even it's only us," she said kindly. Green Arrow suddenly beamed and put his arm around Black Canary. "Yeah," he said.

They took her with them to a machine turbine and stopped. "Uhm, kid. What's your name," Green Arrow asked. "My name is Siobhan."

"Shiv-what now?"

(Star City, December 25, 2011. 10:19 a.m)

After they passed through the turbine portal, Siobhan found herself in an alley. "Come on", Black Canary said. They led her to a crowded beauty salon. The clamoring of the women getting their hair trimmed was quickly teaching her how vain and chatty women can be. "This won't take long," Green Arrow promised. He took a seat next to some tired looking men and waved at Black Canary as she led Siobhan to a chair.

As Siobhan took a good look at herself in the mirror, she realized how long it had been since she's seen her own face. The fringes obscuring her face was identical to those of a billboard of a horror movie advertisement on the street. A woman came up to her with a pair of shears and a comb.

When the woman asked if she wanted short or long hair, Siobhan replied with short, but just up to half her neck. Green Arrow had lied though, the whole process had taken a good thirty minutes already and the woman was not even done yet. But when Siobhan looked at the floor, she found long, tangled locked of coarse hair that probably belonged to her. She mentally apologized to the woman who had to deal with it.

Finally when she was finished, Black Canary handed the woman at the register a large wad of green paper and a smaller but still large wad to the woman who had cut Siobhan's hair. "Better," Black Canary complimented.

Siobhan looked in the mirror next to her. A girl with neat, black, wavy hair stared back at her. She liked how her bangs were parted to make her face a bit like a heart. "Thank you," Siobhan said. She felt the corners of her mouth twitch like she wanted to smile, but the muscles required had shrunk and were paralyzed.

"No . . . problem," Green Arrow said awkwardly. Her attempt to smile probably reminded him of the Joker. Black Canary pulled them both out of the salon and into another store a block away. Meanwhile, Siobhan was learning more and more about the world she was locked away from.

She couldn't believe that the Doctor wanted to destroy this blissful peace.

They went clothes shopping next. This time, Green Arrow took over because he said "Black Canary takes too long to choose." He was visibly relieved when Siobhan did not want any thing from the flamboyant teenage girl's section. She instead choose a white dress shirt with a high ruffled collar, a black button down vest, slacks, and a pair of combat boots from the teenage boy's section.

Green Arrow pushed Siobhan into the changing rooms and urged her to hurry and put on everything. When she emerged, he asked if everything fit properly to which she nodded. From the corner of their eyes, they could see Black Canary rummaging around the racks nearby and something snapped in Green Arrow.

The seemingly joyful man Siobhan had come to associate with Green Arrow was gone, replaced by a serious and concentrated man who ripped the price tags off Siobhan's clothes and took them to the register. In five minutes, he had both females outside.

Black Canary told them both to wait outside a crowded restaurant as she went in. For twenty five minutes, Green Arrow and Siobhan waited outside in the cold, exchanging tidbits and short conversations. Green Arrow was clearly amused at the lack of answers he got when he asked questions. But to be fair, Siobhan had never been asked questions besides 'how are you' and 'what's wrong'?

Five more minutes later, Black Canary emerged with a bag of food in containers. "Let's go back to the cave now," she said. There was so much Siobhan learned today, like what Black Canary was holding was called 'take-out' and Christmas was a very hectic holiday.

(Mount Justice, December 25, 2011. 1:27 p.m)

Back at the cave, they ate pasta from the restaurant Black Canary purchased it from. "Black Canary . . ." Siobhan said quietly. As friendly the woman was, she was still a bit intimidating. "Yes, Siobhan," she replied with a smile.

"What would you like for Christmas," Siobhan asked with an even smaller voice. "From you? It's alright," Black Canary smiled and she waved her hand dismissively. Siobhan asked one more time and when she wouldn't give her a straight answer, Siobhan created a bouquet of holly and roses out of ice.

Their shocked expressions were probably due to the Batman neglecting to tell them that she was a meta-human. "Here," Siobhan said with a barely audible whisper and thrust the bouquet towards Black Canary. She took it gingerly and put down her fork to examine the details.

Siobhan turned to Green Arrow and gave him a blank look. It took a few moments before he registered that it was his turn to be given a present. He laughed and pointed at Black Canary from across the table. It was a strange request, but Siobhan created an ice sculpture resembling the woman and made it walk over to Green Arrow.

"Nice try," Black Canary smirked. She let out a small shrill scream and the ice shattered. "Try again," she smiled at a surprised Siobhan. "New bow and arrows," he said instantly. Another strange request, but his name was Green Arrow, so she complied.

A crystal clear quiver with transparent arrows solidified right next to his pasta and a bow made of the same material next to his glass of water. He strung his bow quickly and took an arrow from the quiver and fired it. It hit the wall across from him and began spreading crystal clear webs on the once undamaged surface. "Can I replace that arrow with another one," he asked sheepishly.

(Mount Justice, December 25, 2011. 8:34 p.m)

"Artemis, B-07"

"Aqualad, B-02"

"Kid Flash, B-03"

"Robin, B-01"

"Superboy, B-04"

"Rocket, B-08"

"Miss Martian, B-05"

Instead of the warm and cozy cave they had expected, the place felt as cold as the city they were in all day. Not to mention no one could explain why there was a dome made of ice panels in the center of the hall.

The floor's training computer was on so that meant Siobhan and someone else were fighting. "Dude, who do you think's in there," Wally nudged, "Zatanna maybe?" Robin frowned. He was still a bit sore with Zatanna breaking up with him once her dad came back.

But it was understandable, they were in different stages in their lives and Zatanna wanted to better herself so no one would ever have to take a fall for her again which was why she was back in Italy training with her father.

A familiar shrill scream made the ground vibrate and their ears pop. "Black Canary's in there," Artemis asked in disbelief. A minute later the top right corner of the dome shattered and fell. There was a large gaping hole and from it was Green Arrow peering down at them.

"Merry Christmas, guys," he said cheerfully before crystal ice began webbing and repairing the hole. His face should have still been there since it was transparent, but he was gone. Another screech, this time louder than before brought down the entire dome within seconds.

The sharp pieces of ices dissolved away into vapor before any could touch the team. Standing in the middle was a triumphant looking Black Canary standing over a girl with short inky hair. "Merry Christmas," their combat teacher greeted. She helped the girl up and whispered some pointers into her ear. The girl nodded and gave a deep bow. Wally snorted.

"I think it is time for me to retire and let you carry on with your festivities," the girl wheezed. Megan gasped in surprise as she recognized the girl. "Siobhan," she cried and pulled her into a back-breaking hug.

"Dude, that's the chick from Arkham right? Kiss me if I'm wrong, but I think she's totally hot. In a creepy, tired looking way," Wally admitted. Robin elbowed his friend in the stomach. "Careful," he whispered and pointed over to Artemis.

Megan handed Siobhan a carefully wrapped package. It was very small, but thick. The younger girl thanked Megan and Conner for getting her something and then Black Canary and Green Arrow for allowing her to spend time with them. A sheet of ice rose from the floor and she put a foot in it.

The panel rippled and actually reflected an image for once. Once she was fully in, the reflection disappeared and the panel began to crack. Once it shattered and the pieces blew away, Green Arrow laughed. "Another one for dramatic exits, just like Batman," he said teasingly at Robin. Speak of the devil and he'll appear. "What about me," the Dark Knight said darkly.

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><p>So what'cha think? Like or hate it? Reviews please~<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Shitz-Suji does not own any part of Young Justice. Only the plot and OC.**

**Shitz-Suji:** I watched the new episode of YJ today! Finally, Artemis and Wally realize it. I thought Robin and Zatanna were adorable, but their story seems a bit rushed (who cares though XD). I may have made some some spelling errors because my hard to press keyboard was not cooperating when I was typing. Ok, enough ranting. Enjoy~

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><p>(Mount Justice, January 3, 2012. 8:30 a.m)<p>

"Dude, how long is Shiver going to stay in the Cave," Wally asked as he zipped up his jacket. Robin shrugged and took a sip from his cup of hot chocolate. "Are you cold," he teased. Wally looked scandalized and downed his mug of hot cocoa, "It's like fifty degrees in here. Aren't you freezing your butt off?"

The Boy Wonder let out his infamous laugh, "That's because no one bothered to turn on the heater." He finished his cup and took it to the kitchen sink while Wally went over to the thermostat. Suddenly, Megan floated to the kitchen with an empty carton of ice cream.

Wally instantly grinned and winked at her direction. The Martian just laughed and threw away the container. She then went for the fridge and took out a brand new carton of caramel ice cream. "Hey, isn't that the last one," Wally asked. Megan put back the carton and took out another one.

"Sorry, I'll just get the chocolate one, is that all right," Megan asked. Wally and Robin nodded. Megan smiled. "Conner and I were playing some games with Siobhan. Do you want to join," she asked.

The two boys looked at each other and shrugged. "Ehh, what've we got to lose," Robin said. They followed Megan back to the hall where a trio of glaciers was floating near the ceiling. She took flight and floated up to one of them. Wolf peered down at the two of them and growled in an almost affectionate way. "Thanks . . . Wolf," Wally said awkwardly.

All of a sudden, two glacier platforms condensed from vapor and hovered in front of them. "Get on," Megan called from above. The two jumped on their individual platforms and held on tightly as it rose higher and higher. The trio that was already up in the air widened their circle to let the two fit in.

Conner was shuffling a deck of playing cards in his hand while Megan petted Wolf's head repeatedly. "We're playing Big 2, you in," Conner asked. "Yeah," the two said in unison. Wally pointed to a girl sitting alone on a large glacier platform. "Hey, does she know how to play at all," he asked.

The girl looked up and frowned at him. "She learned pretty fast this morning," she said. Wally raised his hands as a peace symbol. "Sorry, just a thought," he said. Megan smiled. "That's Kid Flash and Robin there. They're friends," she said.

Wally instantly turned on his charm and turned to Siobhan. "Diggin' your garb," he complimented with a huge grin. Siobhan looked at him for a moment and muttered, "Thank you."

"So . . . are you goth or something. Or a butler in training," Wally asked. He pointed to her formal looking vest and slacks. Robin cut in before the glare Siobhan was giving him could kill. "He does that sometimes. I'm Robin, but you already know that," he said.

Conner started dealing out the cards as fast he could without dropping them. "This person here is Siobhan, but you already know that as well," Siobhan replied curtly and picked up her cards. A solid disk of ice closed the circle in the center and served as a table. "Narration, nice," Robin said and looked through his deck.

Wally lost first, then Siobhan, then Megan. It was a showdown between Robin and Conner and neither looked like they were going to back down soon. About ten minutes later, one of the players finally won. "Big 2," Robin yelled triumphantly and slapped down his two.

"Hey, just wondering. Do you have ice and telekinesis or is it just ice," Robin asked Siobhan. "Cryokinesis only. That's all I can do," Siobhan said as she handed in her cards. "You don't talk much, do you," Robin stated.

"Not unless I want to or it's necessary," Siobhan said. "So which one is it with me," Robin asked with a devilish smirk. Siobhan put a mouthful of chocolate ice cream in her mouth and swallowed. "Is this flirting," she questioned.

A certain red-headed speedster guffawed at her comment and nudged Robin. "No, just some friendly talk, Shiv," Robin said dismissively. Siobhan took the spoon out of her mouth and looked at him. "Did you just butcher my name," she asked.

"Nah, it's more like a pet name for you," Wally laughed. He laid down and rolled over, almost falling off his platform in the process. "Can you make this bigger," he asked once he got up. Siobhan snapped her finger and Wally's platform expanded to the size of hers. "Thanks," he grinned and laid down again.

(Mount Justice, January 3, 2012. 2:45 p.m)

"Black Canary, 0-12"

Almost immediately, the Team flocked to the main hall to greet their combat teacher. After they exchanged tidbits about their Christmas holiday, Black Canary paired them all up for a practice fight. She briefly warmed up with Rocket, who managed to get a good swipe in at her shoulder blade.

"Good job," the blonde complimented, "Keep it up. Rocket beamed and ran off to join Artemis and Robin, who were still warming up with their fight. About fifteen minutes later, Black Canary began her lesson.

(Mount Justice, January 3, 2012. 5:30 p.m)

The entire Team was exhausted, but they were determined not to show it. It had been almost three hours and they barely made minimal progress learning how evade coordinated enemy hits. For instance, Wally was too fast in his movements and by dodging the first attack too quickly, it made him vulnerable for a speedy second hit. Artemis and Conner were having difficulties controlling their tempers, so their movements became brutish and uncoordinated. Only Robin and Aqualad were actually following Canary's example.

"Would you like to help me here," Black Canary suddenly asked. "Me," Rocket asked. The heroine shook her head and pointed to something beyond her. The Team hadn't noticed when a certain Arkham escapee walked into their combat training with a half eaten carton of rainbow sherbet.

"Me," she asked, "I'm just here temporarily, remember?" Black Canary let out a laugh and went over to Siobhan, took the carton out of her hands and dragged her to the center of the circle.

The older woman took a fighting stance and smiled. "Come on, Siobhan. Just like Christmas," she said. She threw the carton over to Megan, who placed it far from Siobhan's reach. Siobhan frowned at her snack being taken hostage. But she complied and took a fighting stance.

To the Team's surprise, Siobhan was able to put up a fight against Black Canary's crushing punches and kicks. Not as well as Robin, but it seemed like she was learning from every hit she avoided or took. Though unlike the rest of them, she was able to dodge Black Canary's attack and retaliate in rapid succession.

"Much better than Christmas," Black Canary declared. Then she picked Siobhan up and flung her halfway across the floor, right in front of her now melted sherbet. Robin stifled the chuckles that threatened to burst out of him at the sight of Siobhan groaning in pain while reaching for the carton.

Unfortunately, she had heard him before Megan and Kaldur elbowed him in unison and sat up. "Would you like to try," she deadpanned and stood up. "Whoa, challenged accepted," Wally said mischievously and pushed Robin into the ring.

She took a spoonful of the murky green liquid and lunged for Robin. Black Canary nodded in approval and stepped out the ring."Calm down, Shiv," Robin said as he blocked a punch. She dropped and delivered a sweeping kick at his legs. "My name is Siobhan," she retorted.

Robin kicked her in the hip and sent her stumbling back to where the carton of sherbet was. She grounded herself at the last second and charged at Robin again. Then she grabbed him on the arm and aimed a punch at his sides, effectively knocking the wind out of him for a second.

But Robin jumped back at the next punch Siobhan threw and knocked her off her feet and pinned her to the ground. "I won, _Shiv_," he taunted. She groaned and pushed him off. "Good job, both of you," Black Canary praised and ruffled her hair.

Siobhan straightened her now messy hair and picked up the fully melted carton of sherbet. "I wasn't even suppose to join your training session," she muttered and returned to the direction of the kitchen to dispose of the soggy carton.

(Wayne Manor, January 3, 2012. 7:23 p.m)

"So how was your day, Master Dick," Alfred the butler asked. He put down a silver platter in front of Dick and took off the lid. Dick picked up his knife and fork and began cutting into his salmon mignon. "Great, a bit tiring but great," he said between mouthfuls.

"That's nice, Master Dick," the butler said and retreated back into the kitchen. For desert he returned with a plate of chocolate gateau with caramel drizzle. After dinner, Dick went to Bruce's study where he found the man filling out paperwork for Wayne Tech.

He put down the pen when he saw Dick and gestured at the chair in front of his desk. "I saw you," he said simply. Dick narrowed his eyes. "You have to elaborate," he replied.

Bruce turned his laptop towards him and pulled up a video file. It was a footage of the brief fight between Robin and Siobhan. "She has potential . . . and her learning capabilities are advanced," he said as he pulled up another video file.

This time it was between Siobhan and Black Canary with Green Arrow supervising. The girl in the video was slow and her movements were sloppy at first, then when Bruce fast forwarded forty minutes, she was more or less proficient in hand-to-hand combat. "What's your game," Dick smirked.

"Siobhan has nowhere to go and I won't send her back to Arkham. It's been made clear she doesn't belong there. I will need to talk to the other league members to see if she can join the Team," Bruce said. Dick grinned, "The Team gets another newbie, huh?"

"Think you can all handle her," Bruce asked.

(Mount Justice, January 3, 2012. 7:50 p.m)

Siobhan reached for the refrigerator, but an unseen force kept the door from swinging open. "No more ice cream," Megan said from behind her. Siobhan turned around and gave the Martian girl a vague shocked expression. "I know you were going for another carton," she sighed, "you've already eaten eleven containers of ice cream in almost two weeks. Don't you want any warm food?"

The challenging look in Megan's eyes was enough to make Siobhan back down. "I would, but I can't cook," Siobhan said blandly. Megan walked past her and pulled the refrigerator door open. "It's ok, I can cook," she beamed.

She pulled out some tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms as well as a pack of noodles from the cabinets. "Does spaghetti sound alright," she asked Siobhan. She nodded and took a seat near the island counter.

In thirty minutes, Megan divided a pot of spaghetti noodles onto five plates and poured sauce on them. "Dinner," she called to no one in particular. Shortly after, Conner walked into the kitchen, followed by Kaldur and Raquel.

Siobhan greeted the three and took the hot plate of noodles and sat down to eat. She forked a mouthful of pasta into her mouth and chewed. "How do you like it," Megan chirped. Siobhan swallowed and looked at her with a serious face.

"If you feed me for the rest of my life, I'm yours," she said. Megan looked at her in confusion as well as a bit uncomfortable. "It was joke, Megan," Siobhan clarified. Megan brightened up and brandished the pot. "Would you like some more," she asked. Siobhan nodded held out her plate.

Dinner was enjoyable. After a long period of awkward silence, Raquel attempted to strike up a conversation with Siobhan and Aqualad and succeeded. "You gotta warn me the next time you tell a joke. I can't tell the difference," she said and laughed. Siobhan even cracked a small smile that didn't look painful in the slightest.

After dinner, she showered and finished reading Megan's Christmas present. It was a book obviously and even though the genre was embarrassing, Siobhan enjoyed it. She spent an hour musing over her thoughts and petting Wolf before falling asleep.

(East Gotham, April 13, 1997)

"Doctor Laurent, must we continue with this nonsense? This is the thirteenth time we've failed. Are we really going to continue on?"

"But of course, my friend. We've gotten so far, all we must do is make some adjustments to Project Shiver. S10B13N's learning capabilities were below average than a normal human being's and its powers are not developed to its fullest," the Doctor said. He then looked at the twitching body at his feet.

"But I must say, S10B13N's durability is amazing. But it's a failure," he said in contempt and kicked his creation's head. The body let out a piteous cry of pain and continued twitching violently on the ground.

"Such a waste," the Doctor said, "Backup, activate S10B13N termination 06S20L97 reload." S10B13N opened its small mouth to let out a scream and-

(Mount Justice, January 4, 2012. 3:12 A.M)

Siobhan sat up in her bed immediately and clutched her forehead. It was almost three weeks and her nightmares haven't ceased yet. A small snarl startled her. She peered over the edge of her bed and found Wolf asleep in front of her nightstand. Siobhan smiled. She must have forgotten to open the door to let him out again.

(Mount Justice, January 12, 2012)

In the morning Robin and Batman zeta-ed to the Cave together. Almost instantly, Wally ran up to them and asked excitedly, "Are we going on a mission?" The Batman glared at him and said, "No." Wally's face fell and he walked up to Robin.

"So why is Bats here," he whispered. Robin smirked. "You'll see," he said. About four minutes later, Aqualad and Artemis led a confused looking Siobhan to the main hall. She glared when she saw the Batman. "I see you are here to take me back to Arkham," she said in monotone.

"No," the Batman said. He nodded at Robin and stepped back as his protégé tackled Siobhan. She didn't have a chance to react when she hit the ground. "Robin: 2, Shiv: 0," he teased.

Siobhan slapped him off and took a fighting stance that Robin recognized because Black Canary had used it yesterday. Robin ran at her and did a hand spring and kicked at her face. She almost avoided it, the sides of his shoes skimming her cheek.

While he was still in the air, she punched him in the stomach and sent him flying across the hall. Wally whistled and cheered. This time, she took the initiative and charged at him and kicked up. Robin grabbed her leg and threw her into air. She almost fell to the ground if she hadn't copied (or learned how to do) the hand spring that Robin did.

She lunged at him again and threw a few roundhouse kicks that Black Canary taught her on Christmas which he blocked. He then kicked her in the stomach, which she let out a small groan of pain. "Must you aim for that organ," she groaned.

He smirked, "Sorry, reflexes." Siobhan knocked him off his feet with a sweeping kick and he hit the ground. Robin pulled on her leg as she raised the other on to bring down on him; he rolled out of the way and pinned Siobhan down when she was recovering from hitting the ground. "I win again, Shiv," he said teasingly.

"Not for long," Siobhan said calmly. She wrested her left arm from Robin's grip and slugged him across the face. Wally and Artemis winced at the impact. Siobhan rolled over and Robin ended up pinned under Siobhan, her knee on his hands to keep him from moving. "You won, Shiv," he said with a grin.

"Only because you provoked me, you little-"Wally cleared his throat and pointed to the Batman. "You might want to get off him, Siobhan," Megan pointed out. Siobhan looked down and saw she was straddling the Batman's protégé. Although, she was angry because Robin had attacked her for no reason, she calmed herself down and got off the boy.

The Batman stepped forward and walked over to Siobhan. If she was scared when the Batman towered over her, she didn't show it. "I have a proposition for you. Come with me," he said.

Siobhan looked at Megan for a moment and then followed Batman's retreating figure. When they were both gone, Robin got up and straightened himself out. "Dude, you should have seen your face when she punched your face," Wally crowed.

Artemis snorted. "Surprised would be an understatement," she said with a smirk, "I never thought she'd have it in her." Robin rubbed the part of his face that Siobhan had hit. "Yeah me too," he said." Wally smirked and put his arm around his friend.

"So . . . what does Batman want with Shiver?"

Batman returned with Siobhan an hour later, the latter looking a bit paler than usual. He called for the Team to meet him in the main hall for an announcement. Megan waved when she saw Siobhan standing beside the Batman. She looked like she was sick.

"This is your new teammate, Siobhan Laurent. She's going to be joining you all for your training sessions and if I think she is good enough, she will join you on Team missions as well," Batman said. He pushed Siobhan towards the others. "Welcome to the Team," he said and stepped back.

Megan immediately pulled Siobhan into a bear hug. "We'll be like sisters," she gushed. After a while, she let go so the other Team members could welcome her. Then Wally, Megan, and Kaldur volunteered to give her a tour of the Cave.

"Hey, what did Bats say when you were with him," Wally asked out of the blue as they showed her to the hangar. "Batman asked me questions . . . and then gave me a math test," she said and walked up to the Bioship that was parked there.

"Wait, Batman gave you a math test," Wally asked incredulously. "Yes, as well as a science, literature, and history test," she said. They left the hangar shortly after with a dumbfounded Wally following them. The three led Siobhan to the back and front exits, the library, and medical lab.

"So what are you going to do about your superhero I.D," Wally asked, "Personally I like Shiver." An eerie laugh echoed throughout the hallway they were in. "Isn't that a bit generic," said a mischievous voice said.

From the rafters, stood Robin with his familiar impish grin. He jumped from the rafters and landed in between Wally and Siobhan. "How did you-" Wally patted Siobhan on the head. "Don't worry, he does that a lot," he explained.

Kaldur smiled and nodded. "I . . . see," Siobhan said and kept walking on. "Back to the question, what's your superhero I.D going to be," Wally asked. Siobhan didn't answer, but she did look like she was thinking.

Megan and Kaldur excused themselves to prepare for dinner, leaving the three of them alone. Suddenly, Wally spotted Artemis coming out of her room and grabbed her. "Hey Artemis, you up for a round of videogames," he challenged and then winked at Robin when no one was looking. Robin looked at his best friend suspiciously. "No, I wanna help Megan and Kaldur with dinner tonight. Maybe later, Wally," Artemis said and started off for the kitchen.

Wally pouted and then made clucking noises. "Are you . . . chicken," he teased. "Oh, it's on," Artemis said and grabbed Wally, who gave his friend a mock salute as he was dragged off to the lounge. Before he disappeared around the corner, he pointed down the hallway and waved. Robin turned around and found the hallway empty.

"Hey wait," he called.

Siobhan left while Wally and Artemis were arguing about their videogame challenge. She just needed some time to think. Almost a month ago, she was in a cell, eating yellow slop three times a day, and a favorite for an Asylum's psychiatrists to drill down. But now . . . she was asked to join a team of do-gooders.

Could this be considered a second chance? Siobhan thought about it and laughed at the possibility. _"Hey wait!"_ Maybe she could make this work, she could have real friends and no one needed to know what she really was: an abomination. She smiled, maybe this could work.

"Earth to Shiv," called a familiar voice. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and was thoroughly annoyed when she found it was Robin who had scared her. "Yes," she said testily. "Just wanted to hang with you," he said and raised his hands as a sign of peace.

She sighed and gave him a small smile. "You're very persistent, aren't you," she asked. "You know it," he smirked. The boy in front of her was grinning so happily she found it hard to actually feel annoyed at him for interrupting her thoughts. But he was now her teammate so she should try to be friendly.

"So what's your hero I.D going to be," he asked. Siobhan shrugged and leaned against the wall. "It's only been about three hours since I became a part of your team and you think that is what I should worry about," she asked almost teasingly.

Robin sat down and leaned against the wall. "What are you really thinking about then, Shiv," he asked. There was a faint playful tone in his voice. Siobhan let out a dry laugh and looked at the wall in front of her. "Now," she said.

"Care to explain," he asked. Siobhan took a seat next to him. "Almost a month ago, I was living in a cell and my main source of nutrition was liquid scramble eggs and burnt bread," she said with a faint hint on longing in her voice. Robin chuckled at her and stared at the wall in front of him.

Arkham wasn't known for its hospitality. Last time Robin visited it was with the Batman, who wanted to interrogate the Joker about a shipload of Joker Venom that had almost killed the entire crew. Naturally, the Joker denied everything and played the innocent prisoner card. Later on, he was assaulted by Harley Quinn who was passing by and just wanted something to relieve her boredom.

The Asylum was also very depressing. About half its inmates attempt to commit suicide once every four months and those that died were buried in shallow graves in the unkempt back garden.

"It doesn't matter if you were in there, Shiv. Just kick some bad guy butt and we'll feed you all the ice cream you want," Robin said. Siobhan gave a dry laugh. "I guess you're right," she said and hit him on his arm. "Ow," he said and pretended to nurse his injury, "What was that for?"

"Payment for this morning," she explained.

"I thought your punching me in the face was your payment," he said. Siobhan laughed.

"That was for you injuring the organ used to store my food. I hit you because you tackled me like a brute this morning," she said.

"Only because Batman made me," he defended.

"If Batman told you to let me freeze you in a block of ice, would you comply," she retorted. Robin snorted at her.

"You won't even touch me," he said confidently.

She jabbed a finger into his cheek and pushed once. "There, I touched you," she taunted. He poked her back in the arm, but a bit softer. "I got you back, Shiv," he said mischievously.

They spent the next five minutes sitting in the hallway, poking each other and avoid being poked by the other. Robin stopped when he heard a hoarse wheeze. "Hey, are you alright," he asked. The wheezing grew fainter and was replaced by a quiet musical laugh. It grew louder and louder with each second.

Robin looked at Siobhan like a deer caught in headlights and pointed at her. "You're laughing," he said dumbfounded. She let out a guffaw and began to calm down. "Of course I was, though I haven't for a while," she clarified. He poked her a few times on the sides to see if he could get another reaction, but he yielded no results.

"You can stop now," she said in amusement. "Sorry," he said. Siobhan got up and straightened out her clothes. "If you'll excuse me now, I'd like to start thinking about my hero identity," she said. Robin pouted. "So soon? I thought you wanted to think some more," he teased.

"Maybe tomorrow and someplace else," she replied and pointed to a metal door behind Robin, "You're in front of my room, you know." He got up and took a step back. "In you go then, Shiv," he said. She smiled and walked towards the door. "Thank you, Robin. For everything," she said and walked in.

"For what? Oh and I suggest you go with Shiv. It's way better than Shiver," he said as the door closed. He could faintly hear her reply: "I'll consider it."

(Mount Justice, January 18, 2012)

Siobhan spent the next few days familiarizing herself with the layout of the Cave or her new home. After all, the Cave was technically her new home whether she liked or not. She also met the Cave's den mother: an android hero that went by Red Tornado.

She couldn't tell the difference between his being concerned about her safety or his simply stating what she and should not do in the Cave. And there was just so much for her to learn, like cooking with Megan, extra training with Black Canary, and some underground lessons with Robin and Conner about riding a motorcycle.

"I prefer my main method of transportation, thank you very much," Siobhan had said dismissively when Robin introduced it to her. Never less, Black Canary and Batman both agreed that it would be a useful skill to learn in case if her powers were sealed and she could no longer travel by floating glacier. "It's just like riding a bike," Conner said.

And he was right, but it was terrifying in its own right not to mention as a minor she shouldn't even be on one of these death machines in the first place. "Oh lighten up, Shiv. It's one of the oh so many perks that come with being a hero," Robin smirked as he mounted his cycle. "And some include being sent into intensive care after hitting a speeding truck with your death machine," she muttered.

"I heard that," he said. The two were going on patrol in Gotham city since the Batman was away on an intergalactic League mission. Conner and Wally would have joined them if Megan and Artemis had not decided to a couple's night in Happy Harbor. Kaldur and Raquel were joining them.

Robin sighed. He used to join the festivities in Happy Harbor with Zatanna and the others, but since they were specifically designed for couples only, he stopped going to them after she left. Naturally, it was because he didn't want to become a third wheel, but mostly because there was no point in going if he couldn't enjoy it with someone.

"Am I riding on Raquel's motorcycle again," Siobhan asked. He nodded and pointed to a purple cycle near Conner's own red one. She mounted the bike and put on her helmet. "So can you remind me why I am doing this again," she asked over the radio. "You're from Gotham, I'm from Gotham. Batman's gone. What else do you need," he joked over their link.

"I see. Let's go," she said and flipped down her visor. The garage doors that led to Gotham city opened and they started their engines. After they were a considerable distance away from the passage leading to the garage, they began prowling the streets for any sign of crime.

Together, they stopped four attempted murders, six drug transactions, two attempted sexual assaults, a fight, and eight burglaries. "We did a good job tonight, Shiv," Robin said over the radio. "Indeed," Siobhan replied simply.

"So now that we're here, you want to do a team-bonding exercise," Robin asked mischievously. He flashed a grin over to Siobhan before turning back to the road. "For that to happen, don't we need the entire team," she replied, "Besides I'm a little bit overwhelmed at how you people can trust so easily."

Robin threw a Batarang at a masked man pointing a gun at a passing couple on the sidewalk. When the gun was knocked out of his hand, Siobhan pointed her finger at him and encased his torso in ice. "Hey, you got a teammate here, besides how are you not whelmed," he said over the commotion of police car sirens.

"Whelmed? Robin, is that even correct grammar," Siobhan asked. Robin grinned. "Everyone's either underwhelmed or overwhelmed. Why isn't anyone just whelmed," he replied. "I see your point," she replied.

"So are we gonna play this game or what," he asked.

"I'll humor you. But you start."

"Batman is my mentor. What about you," he said. She shot him a small smirk. "Your statement is an already known fact. You want to try again," she asked.

"Kid Flash is my best friend," he said with an impish grin, "your turn."

"I hate psychiatrists," Siobhan stated.

"Care to explain that one, Shiv," Robin asked. She shook her head and motioned for him to continue on. Siobhan froze a gang of men advancing on a teenage girl.

"I can cook," Robin revealed.

"I want to dance," Siobhan said lamely.

Robin perked up at her statement. "You wanna become a ballerina like all the other girls, huh," he teased.

"No."

"So before they put you in Arkham, where did you live," Robin asked seriously. He slowed down his cycle so they were riding next to each other. "I was a street urchin living in poverty. My biological parents abandoned me in an alley, why," she said blandly. "For how long," Robin asked sympathetically.

"For as long as I could remember. So almost every normal thing I do is a first," Siobhan said. "Is that why you eat so much," Robin asked.

"Are you implying I am overweight," Siobhan asked threateningly. He grinned sheepishly at her and threw a Batarang at a gathering near a dank alley. The Batarang exploded and covered them in titanium steel netting.

"Let me take that back. Is that why you each so much ice cream," he said. She nodded. "If you want to know, I read half of the books in Arkham's library so I also have a basic understanding of physics."

"Cool," he said.

"Why do you always wear sunglasses? It's dark out already," she said.

"Batman's orders," he explained, "I can't tell anyone my secret identity." Though that rule was broken twice, he told Wally and Zatanna about Dick Grayson. Thank god Batman understood when he told the latter about his secret identity.

"Oh," she deadpanned.

"So have you decided on a superhero ID yet," Robin asked with a smirk. "I'm going with Shiv," she said almost reluctantly.

She almost expected Robin to start gloating, but instead he almost looked . . . miffed.

"Shiv, huh? That's cool, _Shivette_," he said teasingly.

"Another name? What is it with you and nicknames," she said, exasperated. "Hey, everyone's going to start calling you Shiv soon enough. Just planning ahead with your new name, Shivette," he teased.

Instead of replying, Siobhan took care of a robber running down the street with a woman's purse and froze him before speeding up after. Robin responded to the unspoken challenge and they raced back to the Cave, taking care of vigilante business at the same time.

"We should do this again sometime. It was enjoyable," Siobhan said as she dismounted her cycle. "Whatever you say, Shivette. You still lost," Robin said cockily. She frowned and pulled of her helmet. "Only because you had to pull that stunt that almost got you killed. What was I going to say to your mentor when he finds out his protégé got run over like road kill?"

"That I was put into intensive care after hitting a speeding truck with my death machine," Robin said laughingly and flounced out the garage.

"This is not the end," Siobhan said indignantly at his retreating figure.

"I'll count on it, _Shivette_," Robin said back. He smirked as he heard Siobhan groan and headed for the kitchen for a snack.

(East Gotham, December 14, 1997)

"Why do I have . . . other memories?" The Doctor smiled. "My dear, they are your memories. Merely your mistakes that you can learn from, nothing more, nothing less," he said.

"So I was alive before? . . ."

"Human emotions are a fleeting thing. It's is best not to mingle with them, S10B14N, my daughter."

(Mount Justice, January 19, 2012. 2:56 a.m)

Siobhan sat up in bed and groaned. Was it a programming malfunction that was forcing her to remember things that she had locked away so many years ago? This had to be some sort of punishment for some wrong she had committed in Arkham or even in a past life if that was possible.

Suddenly, a flood of guilt course through her. The Team, who all accepted her even though she was an ex-convict from an asylum, believed she was just some random person who got messed with by the system in Gotham. Not a mutated experiment created by a deranged man driven by power hungry motives.

Imagine how they would react when she lied to them about where she came from or who she was. Maybe the doctor was right. Human emotions could become a fleeting thing.

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><p>Like or hate it? Review~<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Shitz-Suji does not own any part of Young Justice or it's characters. Only the plot and OC.**

**Shitz-Suji:** Hi there . . . again. So, it's been quite hectic week over at where I am and the only thing that's keeping me alive is the weekends. :D Anyways, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Meeko-chanXD, who's been hooked on Young Justice since Tuesday (I think) and was texting me during an important concert about how awesome YJ is. XD Frankly, I heartily agree. Enough ranting, Enjoy~

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><p>(Mount Justice, January 26, 2012. 2:16 p.m)<p>

"This is Kat Grant, reporting live from Gotham City. There has been an accident in Central Gotham where multiple containers of Joker Venom has exploded, endangering many civilian lives. The Gotham Police Department has launched a city wide search for the Joker and his partner Harley Quinn, who escaped from Arkham Asylum almost a month ago. In addition to those that escaped include: Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Mister Freeze, and one unnamed convict."

"We urge citizens to keep a look out for these highly unstable villains and call the emergency hotline below if you should see them."

Siobhan turned off the television and threw down the remote in disgust. Highly unstable, her arse, well, the Joker may the exception to that but the others . . . they were more or less like anyone else.

(Wayne Manor, January 26, 2012. 3:21 p.m)

Robin changed into his civilian attire after he got home from an exhausting day of school. Not to mention that Wally had been texting him out of boredom throughout Mathlete Club. Thankfully, it was Friday today, so he was technically free to do whatever he wanted, which was head to the Cave for some R&R.

"I'm probably not going to be back for dinner, so could you tell Bruce," Robin called to Alfred. The butler nodded and went back to his duties.

(Mount Justice, January 26, 2012. 3:34 p.m)

Three packages wrapped in brown paper were stacked neatly on Siobhan's bed when she returned to her room. An envelope was taped to the smallest one on top. "What in the world is this," she murmured and reached for it. Unfortunately, she had forgotten that during today's training with Black Canary, she had received quite a beating from her teacher.

So she used her other hand and tore off the envelope and tossed it on the bed before proceeding to rip off the brown paper covering the package. To her surprise, it was a brand new cell phone. Or at least that was what it read on the box. It was a slim white rectangle with a rather large screen. There was no keypad, so Siobhan didn't know how to operate it or even turn it on. In the end, she gave up on it and tossed it on her bed next to the envelope.

The second package was a flat plain white box. Inside was another envelope, but this time it was thicker. She ripped it open, pulled out the letter, and read:

_Dear Miss Laurent,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Gotham Academy. Your tuition fees have been paid for by an anonymous benefactor as well as your entrance exams, which have been taken into account to decide your classes. Enclosed with this letter are your text books, class schedule, and uniform. You may begin school on the following Monday._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Philip Wilcox._

Entrance exam? Siobhan did not remember having to sit down and take an exam . . . except the one Batman made her sit down for. After he questioned her, he led her to an empty room with a desk in the center and pushed a stack of papers and a pencil towards her, then spent the better part of an hour as her proctor while she solved equations and literary questions.

Siobhan quickly glanced at her schedule, which was stapled to the letter and put it back into the envelope. She then unwrapped the tissue paper in the box and found a stack of neatly folded clothes which she guessed was the school uniform.

The third package was the largest and heaviest. Inside was a thick stack of books on various subjects including world history, biology, and French. She took the books out one by one and put them on a nearby shelf hanging above the desk.

After, she reached for the other envelope. Inside were two cards, one made of plastic with her name written on it and the other that read:

_Spend Wisely._

(Mount Justice, January, 26, 2012. 4:04 p.m)

"Robin, B-01"

The unnaturally calm atmosphere of the Cave was unsettling for Robin as he stepped out of the zeta tube. He only saw Wolf napping on the floor computer which was still on for some reason. The canine aimed a sleepy growl at him when he turned it off.

"Rob," a familiar voice called. A hand smacked Robin on his back all of a sudden, causing him to feel annoyed and pained. "K.F," he groaned. The speedster grinned and stepped in front of him. Artemis smirked and shot a sympathetic glance at him.

"Where is everyone," Robin asked. Wally shrugged and chomped off a large part of a candy bar he was holding. "Megan and Conner are outside with Kaldur. I think Raquel went out with Siobhan twenty minutes ago," Artemis said nonchalantly.

For a moment, mild panic flooded Robin's system, he was technically suppose to be keeping an eye on Siobhan just in case something was wrong with her or she turned out to be bad, Batman's orders. And the police were searching everywhere for her since her "escape" a month back.

Bu the police were looking for a half starved, insomniac person with poor grooming that was in the company of dangerous criminals. Since Black Canary and Green Arrow had given Siobhan a new look, Robin doubt that she would look suspicious.

"What do we do now, guys," Robin asked with a mischievous grin. At that same moment, Red Tornado happened to walking by. If he could read minds, he would certainly not approve of what the two teenage boys were planning.

(Mount Justice, January 26, 2012. 6:32 p.m)

"Rocket, B-09"

"Siobhan Laurent, B-10"

The two females stepped out of the zeta-tubes, exhausted but content. Raquel took a sip of her milkshake and handed Siobhan back her new phone. "Press the button in the middle when you want to turn it on," Raquel said with a grin. Siobhan nodded and put the phone away.

The afternoon had been a wonderful experience for Siobhan, after figuring out that the plastic card had money, she wanted to go out and purchase a few things for school. A backpack, for an example and replacements those glaringly white knee high socks that came with her new uniform. She also bought notebooks, pencils, pens, and assorted school supplies.

Raquel bought a few things as well, like CDs and etc. Then she introduced Siobhan to a milkshake, something the girl craved more than ice cream now. "See ya later, I gotta find Kaldur and show him something," Raquel said. Siobhan smiled and headed for her room.

The next few hours for her were spent pouring over her new text books in an attempt to memorize as much as she could.

"I win again," Robin declared triumphantly. Wally set down his game controller in defeat and took a swig of his root beer float. "I declare a rematch, dude. You won by default," Wally challenged. Robin set down the controller and turned off the television.

"You mean I won by default nine times in a row. Play with Artemis or Conner since there is no way you can beat me," Robin said teasingly and left.

He decided he would be staying overnight at the Cave, homework could wait until Sunday. Plus his rarely used bedroom was going to be turned to a storage closet if he didn't use it soon.

Halfway to his room, he saw Wolf pacing back and forth in the hallway. He growling at Siobhan's closed door. When Wolf saw him, he looked at him and then the door and gave something between a bark and a snarl.

"Alright," Robin said. He went over to the door and knocked on it three times.

"Shivette, are you in there?"

. . . "No."

Robin grinned. "Can you open your door and let Wolf in?" Wolf let out a small bark to announce his presence.

"Oh, one moment please." Robin heard some clamoring and then the metal door slid open. Wolf bounded into the room and onto the bed. A number of objects that were displaced from the bed fell onto the floor.

While Siobhan went to go pick them up, Robin took a peek into her room and saw something he instantly recognized, his biology text book, but newer. He also saw his history and math textbook as well. "Hey Shivette, why do you have those," he asked.

She shot him a matter-a-fact look and said, "I start school on Monday." Robin could just smell the handiwork of Batman/Bruce Wayne; it wouldn't be surprising if it was. After all, he was the one who stuck his neck out for a random Arkham convict and put her on a team with heroes-in-training. "So can I come in then," Robin asked with a devilishly charming smile.

Instead of a simple yes, she sat down on her bed and petted Wolf. "Do you want to come in," she replied. Robin smirked. He walked in and took a seat in the overstuffed armchair in the corner. "So which school are you going to, Shivette?"

"Gotham Academy."

It was definitely the work of Bruce Wayne and knowing him, he probably stuck her in the same classes he had. This was assuming she was the same age as him or in the same year.

"Batman made me take a test. It turned out to be the school's entrance exam," Siobhan said with a wry smile, "though I can't imagine him slaving over the paperwork." She closed her history book and stacked it neatly on the other text books. "Do you go to school, Robin?"

"Where else am I supposed to be at for eight hours during the day," he said back.

"And I suppose Batman "ordered" you not to tell anyone where it is or what's called. Just like he ordered about your 'secret identity'," she said almost sarcastically. He nodded and inside of him, he felt relief since he was spared having to defend himself about going to a real school during the day.

"You remembered, Shivette," he said with a grin, "hey, can I see your schedule?"

Siobhan reached under Wolf and pulled out an envelope and threw it at him. He caught it and examined it carefully. He recognized the letterhead and signature of his principal, which meant it was definitely from Gotham Academy.

She had him for everything except World History, P.E, and Biology, but she was still placed in the honors classes because of her exam scores and she still had to choose an elective. Robin folded up the papers, put them back in the envelope, and handed it back to her.

"Can I ask you something," Siobhan asked suddenly. Robin nodded. "The missions Black Canary tells me of. When am I qualified to join them?

(Mount Justice, January 26, 2012. 11:56 p.m)

The Boy Wonder stared up at his blank ceiling, waiting for sleep to come and take him. But his mind kept wandering, thinking about trivial events that happened to him during the day. He rolled over and groaned.

One event that kept replaying over and over again in his head was the one after she asked _that_ question. And instead of giving a straight forwards answer like he thought he would, he deflected the question and turned the conversation in another direction, just like Batman would.

In fairness, he found it difficult to lie to Siobhan, with her facial expressions rendered neutral most of the time, he couldn't tell how she might react which in turn made him unable to spin a suitable lie for a suitable outcome. That also meant that everything Batman taught him about micro expressions was useless against her.

He gave a weak smirk. Robin had grown use to the fact that everyone around him was an open book, friend or not. The way they talked, acted, even how they ate. It slightly disturbed him that there was now someone out there who he couldn't read. Although, it couldn't be Siobhan's fault, if he could put it in layman's terms, it would be that Arkham screwed her up, turned her into a blank canvas.

Suddenly, a random mental image of Wally wolfing down multiple tacos at once took the center of his thoughts and he couldn't resist letting out a chuckle or two. How he laughed when the poor boy realized that his best friend emptied a whole bottle of hot sauce into just four of them.

Robin woke up early, just as he did during any other day. He freshened up and trained for an hour before breakfast like usual. Except one thing or person was missing: Zatanna.

Sure, it had been a couple of months since their breakup, but it was the first time he stayed overnight since her departure. Before, he'd use to try to fight Bruce tooth and nail just to stay overnight in the Cave, with her more specifically. They'd get up at the crack of dawn together and train until it was time for breakfast.

It was always fun when he was with Zatanna. He would never admit it to anyone though, especially to Wally.

What was he doing? He knew he shouldn't be pinning away for her, no matter how much he cared. Dick Grayson could, not Robin, the Batman's protégé and partner. With that thought, he finished with a complicated series of flips and landed perfectly.

Somewhere along eight o' clock, he spotted Raquel shuffle to the kitchen. Since it was already eight, Robin decided to help out with breakfast if she was cooking. It would help him take his mind off why he was becoming so sentimental all of a sudden.

Kaldur, Megan, and Artemis arrived about fifteen minutes later and as soon as Wally probably smelled raw bacon hitting the frying pan, he was there. Conner and Siobhan were the last to arrive, the latter slightly letting Wolf drag her along to the kitchen for food.

They ate and conversed with each other, except Siobhan who was eating with Wolf in a corner of the kitchen. After that, Artemis and Conner suggested that they all take a joy ride in the Bioship just for fun.

Inside the Bioship, everyone took their respective seats with Megan at the controls all set to take off. Siobhan just stood at the entrance hatch awkwardly and looked at everything else as an attempt to distract herself from the fact that all six passenger seats were occupied and no one bothered to point out that there wasn't another one to accommodate their teammate.

Siobhan was almost about to turn and leave until she heard the sound of a slap and "Hello Megan."

"Where's Siobhan," Megan asked. Wally and Robin pointed at the entrance hatch and grinned. A seat suddenly rose from the ship's floor, between Artemis and Conner. Siobhan quietly took her seat and faced forward. "I'm sorry. It's just you were so quiet," Megan said apologetically.

"Not yesterday, she wasn't. She was laughing for twenty minutes straight," Raquel said amusingly.

"She can laugh," Wally blurted out skeptically. Siobhan shut him up instantly with a glare.

"I heard it too. You would think its quiet, but it's not," Robin added in. Siobhan knew he was referring to the time they almost poked each other senseless. He and Raquel shared knowing grins.

The ship took off with a very amused crew. Siobhan found it strange that when Megan piloted the ship to loop and twist in the air, no one looked like they were going to vomit. They all looked slightly bored, but the momentum was making her a bit queasy and with the way the ship is going, she would need a wastebasket very soon.

Suddenly, Batman's voice was heard over everyone's conversations. Siobhan managed to catch a few words here and there.

"_Team, there is . . . Geneva . . . Cobra Venom . . . string of kidnappings . . . Cobra."_

It didn't take long to realize that Batman was assigning the Team a mission and for the first time, she felt anticipation and excitement.

Before she could fully tune in to Batman's briefing, he was gone and the ship was heading back to the Cave. "Sorry, Shivette. We can't take you along," Robin said. But of course, she already knew that and disappointment replaced her previous excitement. Siobhan watched as the team except Megan and Conner rush out of the ship as soon as the hatch opened.

After them, she calmly walked out, but not before Megan reached out to her. "One day," she said with an encouraging smile. Conner nodded and smiled himself. Siobhan nodded and wished them luck, but something akin to envy stirred within her.

She watched as the team returned in second, dressed in their hero costumes. "We'll bring back some souvenirs," Wally called to her before the hatch shut close. The ship took off once again.

How long before she was able to join them? It was not that she wanted to die in the line of fire or prove herself to anyone, but she was tired of being cooped up in the Cave. She knew combat simulations didn't come close to the real thing and she wanted to experience things first hand. And after so many years of being cooped up, her patience had worn very thin.

(Geneva, January 27, 2012. 4:12 p.m)

"Miss Martian, Rocket and Superboy will take out the security systems. Make sure you both rendezvous with Robin, Artemis, and Kid afterwards," Kaldur or rather Aqualad said.

"What about you," Artemis asked. Aqualad pointed at the foggy forest below where the ship hovered. "I will take the land route and defuse the back up security systems," he replied, "Miss Martian, link us up."

" . . . _everyone online?_"

"_Yes_," everyone chorused back.

"_Let's go_," Aqualad thought. He dropped from the hatch that opened near his seat and into the mist below.

The hatch closed and the ship flew onward towards a brightly lit stadium on a cliff. "So Cobra is running his Cobra Venom and kidnapping business here? Why didn't the League notice this sooner," Artemis quipped. "Probably cuz' of them," Wally replied and pointed below where a pair of hulking monsters stood guard at iron wrought gate.

The ship flew to a safe distance away from the gates, where everyone else dropped. "_Everyone ready_," Miss Martian asked.

"_Yeah_."

"_You know it, Greencheeks_."

"_Is this really the time, Wally?_"

"_Ow!_"

(Geneva, January 27, 2012, 4:37 p.m)

If Siobhan had been fully paying attention, she would have known where exactly in Geneva she was supposed to go. But unfortunately, she didn't. After obtaining some sort of mask of cover her face with, she had flown on a glacier she had been controlling for thirty minutes across the Atlantic Ocean. Once she confirmed she was in Geneva, Switzerland, she had scoured everywhere for the Team.

Near the Eastern coastline, Siobhan spotted a haze that vaguely resembled a transparent Bioship and the forest nearby was covered by a dense fog. Excellent, she thought, now is the time to finally put her ill-gotten powers to use.

(Geneva, January 27, 2012. 4:46 p.m)

Miss Martian located four main control panels used to control the gate which they discovered was protected by a force-field and electric field. Even Rocket couldn't negate it with her own powers. Superboy wanted to tear through it to shut it down but that meant tipping off the search towers on the four corners of the stadium.

Kid Flash and Robin had a plan though, they positioned themselves near the gate where the mutated guards stood and where the control panels were located on the other side of the gate. Then Robin used Kid as foothold and propelled himself higher than the force-field. Only the shimmering haze told him that the force-field extended beyond the fence and covered the entire stadium. During this, Artemis knocked a few of her arrows and shot them into the necks of the guards. They were instantly immobilized by high density foam.

"_What now_," he said.

"_I have an idea. Get over here, fast_," Superboy replied. And fast they did, with Kid dragging Robin halfway there. Artemis, Rocket, and Miss Martian were already there on standby next to Superboy.

The moment he saw them arrive, he shoved his hands into the force-field, literally trying to tear it apart, like Aqualad once did to another force-field. Surprisingly, the alarms didn't sound. But the electric current was sapping his strength quickly. Once he made a hole big enough, Robin slipped through it and jumped the gate. Within seconds, he had all four panels shut down and deactivated.

"Besides Hulk 1 and Hulk 2 out there, this place is really empty," Rocket whispered. "Yeah, I know right," Kid answered. There wasn't much security around here, save for the occasional human or animal injected with Cobra Venom.

"_Guys, I found a door_," Kid announced. He pointed to a slightly opened door with a sign above that read: Employees Only. Superboy switched to thermal vision and made sure the coast was clear. Once he gave the signal, they quickly filed through the door and hid.

Suddenly, one loud universal cheer shook the hallway the Team was currently in. "_What was that_," Robin asked. Another round of cheering shook the hallway and they could all hear the chorus of "Hail Cobra" being chanted mindlessly by a crowd. Suddenly, they heard a loud clamoring coming towards them.

(Geneva, January 27, 2012. 5:02 p.m)

No one was in the forest. The only sign that the Team was in the dense foggy forest was the wake of destruction they had left in their trail. Weaponized machinery laid in scraps beyond repair as Siobhan flew by. She was glad that she had enough sense to turn herself into water vapor to camouflage herself.

But if there were any thermal sensors, she would be instantly detected since her water vaporized body was still colder than the warm fog that surrounded the place. She heard a loud ripping sound and sizzling of a dying machine as it hit the ground. Someone was nearby.

In the fog stood a tall silhouette of a male that looked vaguely familiar. She didn't have to fight him, but she could knock him out if he proved to be an obstacle in the Team mission. Siobhan floated past him while he ran and to her surprise, it was Kaldur.

He reached another machine, this time it was stationary. But it fired lasers in a 360 circle, making it difficult for Kaldur to destroy it. Siobhan directed some of the fog into the machine and made it condense into solid ice. Immediately, the lasers stopped and the machine short circuited.

Kaldur was put on alert instantly. "Who's there? Reveal yourself," he hissed. Siobhan solidified her body into its natural state and walked up to him. "You? Why are you here," he demanded.

"To help. Black Canary didn't waste all that time training with me so I can empty your stores of ice cream when you were all gone," she said defensively. He looked at her mask, a ski hat pulled over her face with holes cut for her eyes, nose and mouth. "Is that my winter hat," he asked.

"It could be. I found it in the laundry room," Siobhan replied. Kaldur gave her a pointed look.

"I owe you a new hat, don't I?"

Kaldur nodded. "We must go before we are caught," he said and started running again. Siobhan turned her body into vapor and floated after him. "Hey Kaldur, where are the others," Siobhan's disembodied voice asked out loud.

The Atlantean frowned. "On missions, I am known as Aqualad and only by that," he says. They both hurry and destroy as much as they can until they reach the stadium. The tall iron wrought gate is dwarfed only by the two guards stationed at the entranced.

"What are they," Siobhan whispers. "Humans infused Cobra Venom. We must get inside no matter what," Aqualad whispered back. "Shall we try from another side of the gate," she asks. Aqualad nodded and they skirted around the bushes until they could no longer see the guards.

"Here," Aqualad said. He jumps out of the bushes and stops in front of the gate. Once he was sure that there was no force-field or defense around the metal, he gestures in a general direction for Siobhan to come out. "I'm right here," the disembodied voice says right next to him.

He didn't say anything but jumped over the fence. "_Team, where are you_," Aqualad asked. "_Inside the stadium, but we're kinda stuck right now_," Kid replies.

(Geneva, January 27, 2012. 5:34 p.m)

The stadium wasn't for selling Cobra Venom, it was a twisted form of entertainment for Cobra and his followers as well as some wealthy evil doers. Miss Martian and Conner found that out the hard way when a cage rolled by with a mutated human in it. His skin was hard and cracked, revealing the hard muscle caused by the steroid. Blood streamed from his face and other parts of his body.

He was barely alive, not to mention half his limbs were almost unrecognizable. "_We have to stop this_," Megan said adamantly. Over a few columns away Robin was scanning for the nearest escape routes nearby, which was back through the "Employees Only" door even though they were well inside and far away from the door.

Another cheer resonates from the crowd above as a loud thud shakes the building. Another cage rolled through the hallway, this time the mutated human inside was dead. Although the Venom-induced humans were technically considered as enemies, Miss Martian couldn't help but cry. They were once humans after all. "_We have to move now_," Robin declared, "_Head for the stairs in the next hallway_."

Conner calmed Miss Martian down enough to have her fly into the next hallway to see if the coast is clear. At her word, they all run to the stairwell and through the door. Luckily for them, there were no cameras so they were free to run up to the next level.

At the topmost floor, they opened the door and burst through them. What they found was unexpected and horrifying. The people that were reported as missing or kidnapped crammed into holding cells along a large hallway, children, women, men. The moaning and desperate cries for help were adding to the morbid atmosphere.

The Team heard voices coming around the corner and looked around desperately for a place to hide. "_Up there_," Robin said.

(Geneva, January 27, 2012. 5:59 p.m)

"All the doors are locked and secured. How are we going to get in," Siobhan whispered.

"We must locate an opened door or entrance-"

"I found an open window, does that count," she whispered and pointed to her left. Sure enough, there was a small rectangle in the smooth gray stone walls. "Good, now we need to get up there," Aqualad said.

He was instantly on a thin platform of solid ice. "I can't do much outside vaporizing my own body and ice so this is it," she said all of a sudden. Aqualad jumps through the opening and Siobhan followed. Inside was scorching hot and it was loud.

To Siobhan's horror, she found jail cells containing people. It reminded her of Arkham, the way they would bring in a new convict. They would first make them change into a loose white jumpsuit and then force them to spend nights in a small holding cell before taking them to their "home" or their official cell where they would probably be detained for the rest of their lives.

And she saw children, a girl with her head shorn, a boy about the same age as her with a large infected gash across his dirty face. Anger flowed through her in a way that she never felt before. Whoever the villains were, she'd make sure they would get the same treatment, Siobhan promised.

Because no matter whom they were, they were only human.

(Geneva, January 27, 2012. 6:17 p.m)

Up in the air vents, the Team recalculated their strategy to reach Cobra and take him down before anything else happened. Once Robin had pointed out the ventilation hatch, they quickly climbed into it and peered down as a whole squadron of Cobra's followers marched down the hallway.

They opened a cell and dragged out a woman by her hair, then shoved her into a nearby cage. One man stuck his hand through the cage and subdued the woman by pulling on her hair again. Another man held a large syringed filled with a glowing blue liquid, Cobra Venom. They watched in ill-disguised horror as the woman was transformed into a grotesque monster. After, she was carted away towards the loud cheering.

"_I'm in the stadium where there are holding cells containing human. Where are_ _you located_," Aqualad asked.

"_In the air vents above you_," Artemis quipped.

Siobhan and Aqualad heard a loud clang above them. "I think that's them," Siobhan whispered. It was getting very hot in here and Aqualad didn't look like he was faring well too. A hatch in the pipes opened and Rocket's face peered down at them.

"Up here," she whispers. Aqualad jumped up and into the opening. Siobhan barely managed to get all of her disembodied self into the vent before Rocket closed the opening.

"I brought a friend," Aqualad announced. The whole Team looks at him and searched around. "I'm right here," said a familiar voice. Except there was no one in sight.

Robin swore he heard Siobhan's voice, quiet but it was definitely her's. Then to everyone's shock, she materializes from cold, gray mist. "Hello," she said awkwardly.

Artemis was the first to recover. "_Why is she here? Didn't Batman say she was_ _supposed to stay at the Cave_," she said angrily. "_Siobhan was of great help_. _Without her, I should still be in the forest_," Kaldur replied.

She pulled the ski mask off and straightened her hair. "I don't care if I get carted back to Arkham for this. I was given a chance to fight and I was not about to let it be taken away just because the Batman didn't give me a pat on the back and an okay to go. If any of you have any problems with this, I will deal with you right now, right here," she hissed threateningly.

The metal vent was starting to get colder and colder with each passing moment. It would have felt good against the blistering heat if Siobhan was not implying to freeze them in their tracks. "Alright, fine. She can stay," Artemis said.

Kid notice Siobhan putting her ski mask back on and turned to Aqualad. "Isn't that the hat I got you for Christmas?"

(Geneva, January 27, 2012. 7:20 p.m)

"_Are you sure about this_," Siobhan asked. "_Yeah, just don't panic or anything, ok_," Robin replied. The slight echoing from telepathic communication was giving Siobhan a small headache, but that wasn't important right now.

Everyone was standing in front of a cell, looking anywhere except at the people in them. Once they heard the squadron walking in their direction, everyone set to work to break or destroy the locks on the door. Superboy easily crushed his lock with one hand, Miss Martian forced the atomic bonds to separate, cutting the lock in half, Aqualad, Rocket, and Siobhan used their powers while Kid and Robin picked them apart in a flash.

Chaos ensued. Miss Martian pulled Superboy up into the air to avoid getting trampled by the people who pushed and shoved their way out. Rocket pulled Aqualad and Kid out of the way and Siobhan placed Robin and Artemis on platforms high above the stampede.

The squadron ran to the sight of the yelling and half of them were immediately trampled by the crowd. Siobhan froze a guard except for his face and tore his mask off. She examined it for a second and ripped off the hood. "_There, I have a_ _proper mask_," she said in delight.

The remainder of the guards opened fire on them. The Team fought bravely, but two backup squadrons rushed to the scene of the fight and quickly overpowered the Team in terms of shear numbers.

But this was exactly what they wanted.

The Team was stuffed in electrified cages, but no attempts were made to inject them with Cobra Venom. Instead they were rolled out into a massive battle arena, where a large audience in the stands threw rotten garbage at them. _"This was what Cobra was up to. He kidnapped those people and were using them as mutated gladiators for his own entertainment,"_ Robin said in disgust.

His hands were handcuffed, but at least they didn't remove his utility belt. They were rolled in front of Cobra, who was sitting on a magnificent throne above the screaming audience.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you . . . Our Lord Cobra's tribute," the announcer yelled. The resonating cheers and yells were deafening. From Robin's peripheral vision, he could see another caged being rolled out. The squadron must had caught a man on his way to freedom and forced Cobra Venom into his system.

Cobra stood up and waved his hands at the large crowd that filled the entire stadium stands. "Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight's program will include a special encore for the Justice League's . . . pets. I sincerely hope you'll all enjoy the show," he said to a hushed crowd. He took his seat and pointed at the mutant to be brought forward.

Robin knew that one of them alone was not enough to take down someone laced with Cobra Venom, not even Superboy who was half kryptonian.

"Lord Cobra's first tribute shall be this girl here. Watch as she fights to the death here. Who shall live and who will perish," the announcer yelled. Superboy's calm demeanor evaporated into pure rage as the guard next to Megan's cage pulled her out. But his handcuffs were designed to keep him from tearing the bars apart and lashing out at anyone.

"Stop," Superboy yelled in desperation. But Miss Martian's determined glare silenced him. The crowd is hushed when they release the monster. Instantly, a distortion appears between the crowd and the stadium.

They must have put the force field up here too, Robin realized. Robin watched as Megan used her telepathic powers to send the monster flying into the electric currents into energy fields. But after a while, the tides turn on her as the monster charged at her and sends her flying into the force field.

Miss Martian was electrocuted once she made contact with the barrier and because of it, she was nearly smashed into the wall by the monster's fists. While the others were yelling at Miss Martian to hurry and recover, Robin was desperately calculating an escape plan, but even if he freed himself, there was no way he could free the others in time and escape unharmed.

The mutant now had Miss Martian by her neck now and was squeezing slowly. The crowd cheered as they watched the life being choked out of her. Superboy was almost borderline hysterical.

But Miss Martian forced the monster off her and propelled him into the electric currents again. She flew up into the air where she was slowly recovering and pinned the monster down with her powers. But the monster broke free and with his remaining strength, he leapt into the air and caught Miss Martian.

There was no more choking this time. Robin saw the fist raised high in the air and knew he was going to crush her. "Megan," he yelled in desperation. "Stop," the voice next to him screamed.

"STOP!"

The monster brought down his fist like a sledgehammer, but Miss Martian still remained struggling a second after. She looked up and saw her opponent frozen in a block of ice then at her panic stricken teammates. The crowd was silent as Cobra stood up.

"You," he declared, "You will replace the Martian girl as my tribute." He pointed at Aqualad, who then removed from his cage. Three more cages with mutated humans were brought into the arena.

"Wait," Siobhan yelled. Robin turned to his left and looked at her. Cobra stared down at the cages lines up beneath his throne and found the speaker.

"I volunteer as tribute."

Cobra looked hesistant about letting the small girl, but he immediately had Aqualad shoved back into his cage and Siobhan was pulled out instead. "_What are you doing_," Kid asked. "_Freeing us all," _she said_._

They unlocked her cuffs her and shoved her in the center ring where all three monsters lunged for her the moment they were released. Siobhan lazily pointed a finger gun at one of them and fired an icy beam. She fired two more at the energy barrier, which bounced back and hit the mutants.

The crowd was silenced when Cobra stood up again. Robin watched as his eyes scrutinized his new teammate, who was at the moment combing her hair with her fingers. She then turned to him and yelled, "I hope the entire audience knows you are a coward. You're no lord or god, just some sniveling weakling who send others to do his dirty work!"

"_Shiv, stop! You can't fight him_," Kid said in panic. "_No, let her_," Robin replied, "_She might actually have a shot at this_."

"How dare you insult me, rat! Tribute or no tribute, you will die tonight," Cobra roared.

"Then how about you fight me? There will be no interferences. If you can disprove my claims, then fight me," Siobhan goaded.

Artemis looked at Rocket and Superboy in shock. "_Is she seriously gonna do this? She's gonna get flattened and we'll have to scrap her off the floor,"_ she said.

"I am a God. You are beneath me," Cobra snorted.

Siobhan crossed her arms. "You mean you are a gutless chicken who's too afraid of the real world, if you were a god then why are we still speaking?"

In his cage, Aqualad smiled at Siobhan. He understood what Siobhan's plan was.

"You must have not heard correctly, rat. I am a God. You are garbage beneath me that I can crush easily," Cobra said calmly.

Siobhan knew that she needed to undermine Cobra's influence on the people in the stands and they'll be pressuring him to fight. "Then . . . fight me, you gutless chicken. Or you can strategically place your lips upon my posterior and kiss it repeatedly."

"_Shiv, the correct term is 'you can kiss my butt_," Wally said. And for once, Siobhan grinned in his direction.

The crowd was cheering and yelling for their "god" to reclaim his dignity. Finally, something in Cobra snapped and he jumped through the force field and into the arena.

The moment he landed, he stood still like he expected for Siobhan to charge at him. Instead, a beam of icy white light engulfed his face and neck, preventing him to breathe. He crushed the ice that was forming across his face and stormed across the arena ground. "You made a tragic mistake, rat," he said menacingly.

Siobhan backed up quickly and stopped. "That I did, gutless. I forgot to do this." She raised her arms and a dome made of ice panels closed over them. It was the same one that she used on Christmas when she sparred with Black Canary. Twelve large panels made up the bottom ring, eight more on top of them, and one closing off the top. No one could see what was going on inside, but it was obvious that Cobra's hand to hand combat had no effect on the panels since the pounding noises were gradually growing quieter and quieter and the panels weren't even damaged yet.

"_Shivette, what's going on in there_," Robin asked.

"_Can't you see I'm occupied_," she snapped, "_I'll be out in a few more minutes_."

The Team panicked when what sounded like Cobra began pounding on the panels again. After a few more blows, the arena was silent again. A few more minutes later, the Dome completely shattered except for one panel. Cobra was encased in a massive iceberg, save for his nose and up.

Siobhan emerged from it and walked over to Cobra. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to present to you your defeated leader, Cobra," she declared. The man was semi-conscious and furious as Siobhan smeared everything under her boots on his clean, shaved head.

"I hope you know that I take no pleasure toppling from your throne. But I find it amusing how easily you lost as a god," Siobhan whispered to Cobra and kicked at his head which rendered him unconscious.

Siobhan knocked a nearby guard unconscious and stole his keys. Once everyone was free from the cages did Superboy realize Miss Martian was still missing. "_Over_ _here_," she said.

The Martian materialized into view and hugged Superboy. "Our plan worked," she said happily to Siobhan. Aqualad went over to Siobhan and smiled. "Welcome to the team."

(Mount Justice, January 28, 2012. 8:28 a.m)

"I gave you explicit orders to stay in the Cave. You were not supposed to join the Team on missions until I said you were ready," Batman said threateningly. He glared at Siobhan, who just stared blankly back at him.

Robin tried not to grin as he watched his mentor attempt to intimidate Siobhan. Because what use would that be? She was just staring back at him with her neutral face. But the moment Batman's back was turned; she caught him looking and smiled at him.

Then the Batman turned at the rest of the Team. "You let her continue on with the rest of the Team even though you didn't know if she could be a liability. She could have blown your cover or turned against you. But you trusted her all the way through. Good job," he said.

His scowl lessened as he headed for the Zeta-Beams. "Black Canary will take your measurements. I expect a name and design for your clothes at the end of the week. . . .Welcome to the Team, Siobhan."

"_Batman, 02"_

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> Hunger Games reference. My obessesion for it has flared up again and bit me in the butt. :D Love or Hate it, review for more action~


	5. Chapter 5

(Gotham Academy, January 29, 2012. 7:59 a.m)

"Hey, come back here," a security guard called. But whoever he was shouting to had already disappeared around the corner, speeding towards the Literature and History Building. Siobhan winced as she heard the last bell ring. Already, her first day at Gotham Academy had gotten off to a bad start and the day was just beginning.

She had humiliated herself four times, three by entering the wrong classrooms in a most inelegant manner and one by initiating a full frontal pursuit with the campus security guards by running in the hallways. Thankfully, she managed to shake them off. "Class 2-A, that should be right," she muttered as she pushed up her glasses.

(Gotham Academy, January 29, 2012. 8:02 a.m)

Dick Grayson glanced at the classroom ever now and then. It was already three minutes since the tardy bell rang and he still has not seen his soon-to-be new classmate once. Barbra was a little miffed as well, she was suppose to be her student liaison and having to stand in front of the school's entrance in the freezing cold was not the ideal way she wanted to spend her morning.

Suddenly, the door burst open and the new student stumbled through it, inciting laughter from the entire class. The teacher silenced them all with a glance and helped the student in. "You must be . . . Miss Laurent right?"

The student pushed up a pair of spectacles and said pointedly to the teacher, "My name is Siobhan." Dick noted on how the glasses seem to make Siobhan's usual emotionally indifferent face a bit nerdy. "Oh yes, Siobhan. You can go take a seat in the back between Andrew and Catherine. By the way, why were you late," the teacher asked.

"I got lost," Siobhan replied and walked over to her designated seat between two people who looked very annoyed at her. The teacher continued with her lesson and apparently went out her way to pick on Siobhan to answer most of her questions. She was able to answer with ease because of the knowledge she was programmed with, but she wished that the teacher would pick on someone else.

First period English went by pretty fast for Dick, the rest of the class was spared answering test questions because of Siobhan. So instead he spent half of the class time musing over on how last Saturday's mission went. The plan involving Miss Martian to camouflage herself and slip into Siobhan's dome was a complete success. The only question was that now Siobhan was allowed to go on missions with them, could she work with them despite them not knowing the full extent of her abilities and vice versa.

For all they could know, one day they could end up as frozen icicles hanging under the Bioship. That wouldn't be so good for anyone. But on Sunday, at the request of Kaldur, she demonstrated how the dome worked.

All they needed to do was to slip into the ice, which partially liquefied to let them in. The next part was more uncomfortable, while they were in the ice, their bodies were condensed in vapor and they were able to move freely from one panel of ice to another. That made anyone inside the dome was considered fair game for the Team.

"Alright, class dismissed. Head over to second period now," the teacher said over the shrill ring of the bell. Dick and Barbra filed out of the classroom and headed for the Science and Math building. Biology went by pretty quickly for some reason, and then Pre-Calculus and World History.

(Gotham Academy, January 29, 2012. 11:55 a.m)

Siobhan rubbed the sore spots where she was pelted by various softballs. The girl who pitched them was the same one who sat next to her in English, Catherine. She had the face of an angel but the personality of banshee. Siobhan tried to retaliate, but the glasses threw her aim off and she almost hit the teacher's aid. After that, she found her locker jammed shut and spent a good ten minutes of lunch attempting to un-jam it. Then she realized she had left her French textbook in second period biology.

By the time she got to lunch, all the good food gone and the only thing left was runny mashed potatoes and dried bread. The picnic tables were filled and the only part that was not crowded was the area near the library. Siobhan spent a good five minutes looking at the mess on her lunch tray and then threw it away in the trash can.

"Hi there." A girl with dark red hair waved at Siobhan and walked over. Behind her was a boy staring aimlessly at a wall to his right. "I'm Barbra, your student liaison. You must be Siobhan," she said brightly. This girl reminded Siobhan of a younger, less green Megan. "H-hi," she managed to reply.

"We got like thirty minutes left, so do you want a tour of the school," Barbra asked, "Because we wouldn't want you to get lost again, right?" She helped Siobhan up and directed her towards the nearest building which was the library.

Six minutes into the tour and the atmosphere between them had grown from awkward to just uncomfortable. Barbra tried to alleviate the situation by engaging Siobhan in conversation, but the questions ended up answered with a shake of the head or a slight nod.

"And this is the Performing Arts building. Most of the kids who can dance, sing, draw or play an instrument hang out here during lunch. It's really cool inside," Barbra said. "Can I go in," Siobhan asked all of a sudden.

The red-headed girl nodded. "Yeah go ahead; just tell them that sophomore V.P Gordon sent you." Siobhan nodded and waved good bye to Barbra before taking off her glasses. A small grin of anticipation formed along her lips. She had spent all last night watching clips from dance competitions and instructional videos because she really wanted to learn how to dance.

On the desk of one of the therapists back in Arkham was a music box. Siobhan never opened it, but the small figurine of a girl in a beautiful dress with her arms gracefully spread open always intrigued her. It was also one of thing that kept Siobhan relatively sane during her psychoanalysis sessions. When she was back in her cell, she'd daydream about how it would be like to be that girl in the beautiful dress, dancing, not having to worry about confining herself.

She took a breath and walked in through the front door.

(Gotham Academy, January 29, 2012. 12:47 p.m)

"You're back pretty early, Babs. How did the tour with the new girl go," Dick asked. He handed over a half of his sandwich to his friend and took a seat on a nearby bench. "It was fine. She didn't talk much though."

After that, they spent the remainder of their lunch time poking fun at how the clouds looked today. Dick had no trouble with P.E save for the occasional fastball pitched his way by his less coordinated classmates. Then after that was Economics, one of his least favorite classes. Being Robin already exposed him to many of the world's affairs and the only thing most people discussed in the class was the entertainment news. He still shuddered at the week where he made the cover story with Zatanna.

They were caught sneaking away for some alone time at a charity gala by a member of the paparazzi and the day after, Dick found his face plastered on every gossip bulletin and entertainment website. Being the ward of a billion dollar playboy had some disadvantages. Needless to say, that week was pure torture for him. Luckily for him, Batman did him a huge favor by steering Dr. Fate away from his nearest news outlet.

When the bell rang for the last period of the day, Dick was the first one headed for French. He greeted his teacher with a smile and head for his seat in the front row. A few minutes later, he saw Barbra walk in with Siobhan, the latter sporting the brightest smile that he had ever seen on her face.

They were chatting away animatedly and Dick thought he saw Siobhan punch Barbra playfully in the arm. "Alright, Children. Pleaze pass up ze homework and take out your-" The French teacher paused and stared at Siobhan standing in the doorway. The grin she was sporting a minute ago melted off her face and was quickly replaced by a sullen look bordering on confrontational.

"You must be Miss Laurent, no? Take a seat next to Mister Grayson and we shall get started. Quickly now," he said. Siobhan quickly scurried to the only empty desk next to the boy she saw at lunch. She felt uncomfortable at the way he kept looking at her; it made her feel like she was under inspection.

After a while, he cleared his throat and held out his hand at her. "Richard Grayson, but you can call me Dick," he whispered. Siobhan pushed up her glasses before shaking his hand gingerly. "Siobhan-" "Laurent, I know," he finished.

Siobhan didn't like how Richard Dick Grayson's blue eyes were twinkling mischievously.

Dick and Siobhan struck up a conversation later on. He was surprised at how receptive she was to answering back, something really good must had happened to her today. Somewhere in the middle, he switched over to French. After all, they were in French class.

"Comment allez-vous aimer l'académie à ce jour," he asked._ (How are you_ _liking the academy so far?)_

Siobhan looked at him in mild shock. His pronunciation was too good for a high school student. She understood what he said, but she didn't know how to answer back. The knowledge of how to speak French was in her brain, but she never put it to use before.

"Allez, dis quelque chose en retour, Siobhan," he said calmly. _(Come on, say something back, Siobhan.)_

He gave an encouraging hand gesture and pointed to his French textbook. To her, it looked a bit like he was mocking her apparent lack of knowledge of the French language.

"Je préfère parler en anglais," she replied tartly. _(I'd rather speak in English.) _

Dick faltered for a moment at her tone then he gave her a smile. "You can speak French, nice." The teacher shot him an annoyed look and then returned to the textbook in his hand.

"Obviously," she replied curtly and pushed up her spectacles.

"Vous n'avez pas répondu à ma question pour le moment," he said teasingly. _(You_ _haven't answered my question yet.)_

"Peut-être que je ne veux pas y répondre," she replied cryptically. _(Maybe I don't_ _want to answer it.)_

Dick's next thoughts went to the first decent conversation he had with Siobhan, the one where he beat everyone in a game of Big 2. "Êtes-vous flirter avec moi," he asked seriously. _(Are you flirting with me?)_

Siobhan had to decency to flush when Dick waggled his eyebrows in a way that reminded her of Wally. When she replied cryptically, she meant for the conversation to come to an end, not have it blown back at her face like this. "Non, je suis consterné par vous-même," she replied coldly. _(No, I'm appalled at you_ _even saying so.)_

The teacher cleared his throat and turned to them both. "If you both like to share somezing with ze class, pleaze hurry," he said. They both shook their heads and stared at the textbooks on their desks. When the teacher looked away, Dick turned to Siobhan and whispered, "Sorry, I was just joking. You know that right?"

"I know. Sorry I sounded so hostile," she said back. The slap of a meter stick against a desk drew their attention towards the teacher. "Homework ez pages 249 to 251. You may pack up your zings now," he said.

The two of them scribbled down the homework on the board and put away their things as the teacher came up to their desks. "Extra credit for ze both of you," he whispered mischievously, "Zat waz an excellent exchange of ze words. But for ze next time, don't be so loud."

"What just happened," Siobhan asked as she watched the teacher's retreating form heading for the door. The bell rang and Dick smirking at Siobhan's confused expression as he got up to leave for the Mathletes meeting.

(Gotham Academy, January 29, 2012. 3:10 p.m)

During Mathlete club, Dick sat through the endless conversations about who should go to the regional competition. Naturally, he knew one of the competitors would be him. But the competition wouldn't be until early spring and it was just the end of January.

Two hours later, he grabbed his things and bolted through the door once the club meeting was adjourned. Alfred was probably waiting in the car at the front of the gates for him, best not to keep the man waiting. Somewhere near the Performing Arts building, he heard Clair De Lune blaring at full volume. Whoever in there was going to go deaf eventually if the volume wasn't turned down soon. Dick caught a glimpse of a male dancer leaping into the air, followed by his partner. The music stopped and the two of them seemed to be giving instructions to someone else in the room.

Then the music was restarted and he saw the third dancer, a female about a head shorter than the others. He recognized her instantly. But he had to hurry to Alfred before the man started panicking about his tardiness.

"Master Dick, how was your day," the butler asked as he held the car door open for him. "Pretty good," Dick replied, "Yours?"

The butler gave him a small smile. "It was splendid, Master Dick," he replied before closing the door.

(Gotham Academy, January 29, 2012. 7:21 p.m)

When Siobhan exited the Performing Arts building, she was alarmed to find the sky a dark black-blue. The time on her phone read 7:23 p.m. A cold breeze blew past her and she shivered. It was night out and freezing cold, not to mention she had to walk about two miles home through potentially crime riddled streets. She considered using her powers, but that would warrant another lecture from Black Canary and a possible one from the Batman as well.

Siobhan attempted to call someone, but she remembered she never asked anyone at the Cave for their cell phone number. She didn't even know if they had a cell phone. "Hooray, I get to walk home," she muttered. Maybe she should invest in her own motorcycle, she thought. That would mean she wouldn't have to run all the way to school when she woke up late.

It was almost 8:20 p.m. by the Siobhan reached the Zeta-Tube. Her arms felt numb since the thin blazer did nothing to protect her from the cold and her legs were freezing. "Blasted skirt," she murmured as she zeta-ed to the Cave.

The Cave was so warm compared to the outside. The smell of dinner wafted from the kitchen, it smelled like pasta. Siobhan dragged her tired body to the room, hoping that there was still some left for her.

"Hey there, beautiful," a certain red-headed greeted. Artemis smiled at her and spooned a mouthful of creamy pasta into her mouth. "Hi," she said uncertainly. There hasn't been much communication between the Siobhan and the two. "Grab a seat, there's some more food in the pot over there," Wally said between mouthfuls.

"Where's Megan and Conner," Siobhan asked. "At a basketball game at their school, Kaldur and Raquel are in the library," Artemis said. Siobhan filled up a plate with the partially cold pasta and together they ate in silence. It wasn't until after they washed the dishes did someone finally speak. "There's a marathon of my favorite drama tonight. Anyone up for it," Wally asked.

"You watch dramas," Artemis asked him skeptically. She crossed her arms and smirked at him. "Hey, it's a Neo-Noir classic," Wally defended. Siobhan noticed he already threw in three bags of popcorn into the microwave and was taking out a large bowl from the kitchen cabinets.

They sat down on the plush green sofa while Wally fiddled with the remote. "By the way, Shiv. Love the specs," Artemis said. Siobhan immediately yanked them from her face. The glasses were only meant as way to keep her identity between civilian and future hero divided.

Artemis rushed to the kitchen when she started smelling burnt popcorn. Meanwhile, Wally and Siobhan had their eyes glued to the screen. Five minutes into the drama, Siobhan was already intrigued by the characters and plot.

(Mount Justice, January 29, 2012. 12:53 p.m)

"_Juliette doesn't need a promiscuous, part-time parent dependent on a bottle and let's face it Gemma, you're just one disgusting act away from shacking up with a new sugar daddy!"_

Wally shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth and chewed loudly before handing the bowl over to Siobhan. Empty popcorn bags littered the kitchen and the whole place reeked of buttery goodness. Artemis was long gone, about forty-five minutes into the first episode, she decided that it was late and she needed to get home. "That explains why Gemma would want Olivia dead. Her biological daughter loves the step-mother better than her own mother," Siobhan realized out loud.

"Yeah, there's going to be a twist in the next episode, Shiv," Wally said. It was about 12:57 p.m. and the both of them had their homework out while watching their show.

Red Tornado walked into the lounge and looked down at them. "Something is burning in the kitchen," he stated simply and walked out. Siobhan was surprised he wasn't scolding them for staying up so late on a school night. Wally dashed to the kitchen and put out the fire in the microwave before sticking in a new bag of popcorn.

A gunshot startled them both, Wally immediately returned to the lounge and Siobhan gripped onto her history book tightly. _"It's_ _Vincent, he took the bullet for me. I was meeting Malcolm here and he followed me. Please, you have to help him."_

The two of them watched in silence during a heart-felt moment between Juliette and Olivia as they were waiting for the doctors to complete Vincent's surgery. Siobhan couldn't help but tearing up at the mother-daughter moment between the two.

Wally on the other had turned to a complete mess. He hugged his crumpled math homework and wiped at his eyes discreetly. When he caught Siobhan looking at him, he grinned sheepishly and tried to act nonchalant about his previous reaction to the scene. "Had something in my eye," he explained.

Someone walked into the kitchen and turned the lights on. "What are you guys doing up so late? You have school tomorrow." It was Megan in her bathrobe and fluffy slippers. She telepathically took the remote from Wally's hands and switched the television off with it.

The color immediately drained from Wally's face. "My parent's are gonna kill me," he said and took out his phone. "Never mind," he said a moment after. The two of them packed up their finished homework and shuffled to their respective rooms under Megan's watchful eye.

(Gotham Academy, February 3, 2012. 3:02 p.m)

"Hey are you staying afterschool today, Dick," Barbra asked. He grinned at her. "Of course, wouldn't miss the Mathlete Club's meeting for anything in the world," he said. "It's Friday, you should take a break someday from all those club meetings, you know," she said.

"That's what the weekends are for, Babs. See ya on Monday," he called as he headed for the Science and Math building. "Bye Dick," she called back.

Roughly two hours later, he headed for the front gates once the Mathlete Club meeting was dismissed. "This week went by quick," he said to himself. The training sessions with Batman, night patrols, and school seemed like a blur to him.

He passed by the Performing Arts building and looked at a particular practice room window. All week long, he saw Siobhan in there afterschool, practicing. He didn't want to think about what time she went home, it must be pretty late since she showed up to school the next day in a wreck.

It almost reminded him of how she looked like before Black Canary got to her. The dark circles under her eyes and the messy waves of hair that covered her face instead of framing it made it look like she was cramming for something. It still didn't stop the male students however, Dick watched as they eyed her like piece of meat when she wasn't looking.

(Gotham Academy, February 3, 2012. 7:34 p.m)

The cold night wind was biting at Siobhan's exposed skin as she exited the Performing Arts building. But she didn't mind a bit, today was Friday. That meant she and Wally could watch their drama without having Megan show up and shepherd them to their beds. Last night, the Martian girl had left them both on a cliff hanger and they were forced to go to bed pondering on what really happened to Olivia's sister, Greer.

As she hurried out of the Academy gates, she bumped into someone. "S-sorry," she said as she righted herself. "It's alright, Shivette," the person replied. He pulled down his hood and grinned. "Nice specs."

Siobhan ripped the glasses from her face and stuffed them into her bag along with her hastily folded practice clothes. "Why are you here, Robin," she asked questionably. The protégé of the Dark Knight does not show up to a random school without a reason.

He walked over to a familiar red motorcycle and put on a helmet. "Picking you up, or do you want to freeze to death," he said seriously. Siobhan caught the spare helmet he threw at her and looked at it. "The real reason is because Wally wants you back at the Cave so he can get the T.V program started," Robin said with a sly grin, "get on."

(Gotham City, February 3, 2012. 7:42 p.m)

Robin noticed that she was sitting behind him with an inch of space between them and she was holding onto the folds of his jacket rather than his waist. The motorcycle was going at almost seventy miles per hour and she put modesty first over her own life. At this rate, if she ended up putting too much weight on the other end of the bike, it'd be him who was sent to the afterlife first.

"Shivette, mind holding something else besides my jacket? You're kinda choking me," he said. She let go of the jacket and clamped down on his shoulders with a vice-like grip. Robin let out an audible sigh and let go of one of the handlebars to put her arm around his waist. Her other arm reluctantly followed it and cinched itself together with the other hand.

"We're almost there, Shivette," Robin said with a laugh. The motorcycle sped up as Robin wove in and out through the traffic. Siobhan held on tighter when the bike barely missed a pickup truck. After a few moments, the false billboard door came into view and slid open. Siobhan had to literally hold back a terrified scream as Robin pulled the bike back and made it jump into the garage entrance.

They passed through the authorization beams and arrived back in the Cave's garage. "I think you bruised my ribs, Shivette," Robin said and feigned a pained moan. Siobhan slowly released her grip on him and got off the motorcycle. "Sorry," she replied. Her legs were trembling slightly and her face was paler than usual when she took off her helmet.

"Maybe next time, I should go slower next time," Robin said as he took off his own helmet. He tried to not to laugh and grin as Siobhan gave him a twitchy frown. "There won't be a next time,' she said weakly.

They both exit the garage and headed to the lounge where a speedster was wolfing down a platter of nachos like there was no tomorrow. He looked up from his food when he saw the two walk in. "Shif," he greeted between bites. There was excess cheese smeared over his mouth.

The other Team members were in the kitchen eating dinner. Siobhan greeted them and walked over to the sofa as Wally held out a bowl of chips towards her. "Wanna watch with us, dude," he asked Robin. "Sorry, I'm not into soap operas," Robin said mockingly.

"It's a Neo-Noir classic, not a soap opera, dude," Wally defended. He turned around and switched off the lights before his best friend could give an answer.

(Mount Justice, February 3, 2012. 8:49 p.m)

Megan (and by extent, Conner) was roped into joining the two teens on the sofa halfway through the first episode. The drama was a bit darker than she was use to from T.V sitcoms, but like Siobhan, she found the plot and characters interesting.

"No, Olivia! Don't go in there," Megan cried out. They all gasped in shock as a frozen corpse tumbled out of the small freezer. "Oh dear lord," Siobhan muttered as Wally munched on his bowl of chips to erase his growing fears. All the while, Conner just sat there, seemingly oblivious to the television and people around him except Megan, who was clutching his arm like a vice.

Four episodes later, Conner went off to bed, leaving Megan alone in the lounge with Siobhan and Wally. They barely nodded at him as he said good night.

"_Sit down! Sit. Down. Vincent. We all know you're not man enough to take me on or are you going to bludgeon me to death with that paperweight in your hands?_

Siobhan couldn't control the amount of frozen dairy cream being shoved into her mouth now. They learned that it was Gemma who was behind the hits called on Olivia and apparently, she had gone insane. A low pitched sound of despair was heard in Wally's general direction when Juliette came home to find her biological father and stepmother being held at gunpoint by her distraught mother.

"_You can't do this, Gemma. You could still turn back. Olivia and I, we'll help you."_

(Mount Justice, Febuary 4, 2012 1:17 a.m)

The sound of glass breaking woke Robin up in a heartbeat. It sounded like it came from the lounge; that must have meant that Wally, Siobhan, and Megan were still up watching their soap opera. Robin wished he was like Wally or Conner, he swore both could sleep through a round of cannon fire. But Batman insisted that he'd learn how to sleep with one eye opened in case the Manor or Cave was ambushed by villains.

He rolled out of bed, grabbed his sunglasses, and shuffled to the kitchen for a glass of water. Halfway there, he heard Wolf howl in distress as more glass broke. "Hey, guys? Could you turn the T.V down? People are trying to sleep here," Robin said as he poked his head through the lounge.

Two redheads and a brunette turned their heads at him and back again. "Y-yeah, sure," Wally mumbled, "We'll turn it down." But he didn't. If Robin wasn't fully awake at the moment, he was when the sharp sound of paper being ripped echoed across the lounge.

"_I could've handled not being the girls' father, but this? I'm tired of you lying to me, Greer. I'm tired of your meddling, your scheming, and your excuses. I'm going out, when I'm back you better be gone."_

Megan punched a green fist in the air and bit down on one of her cookies. "Finally, Henry sees Greer's true colors," Siobhan murmured. Robin walked over and snatched the remote out of Wally's hand. "It's really late, dude. And remember, we got training with Black Canary," he said tiredly and switched off the television.

"Aww man, we were gonna find out what happens to Greer," Wally groaned. But the glare Robin shot him was so intimidating, it caused the other two to get up and head towards their respective rooms. Wally, on the other hand, gobbled down the rest of the chips in the bowl and sped towards his room before Robin could catch him.

Siobhan hid herself in the rafters, so when Robin returned to his room, she could come down and finish the episode without interruption. It didn't matter that Megan and Wally were going to finish it tomorrow; she needed to know what happened to Greer. But five minutes passed and she still hasn't seen Robin walk back to his room.

Suddenly, someone's hand grabbed her shoulder which almost made her fall from her hiding place. But the hand steadied her and let go when she was stable enough. "Shivette," said a familiar voice. When Siobhan turned around, she saw a pair of dark sunglasses.

"What," she snapped. The lack of sleep coupled by the sore arms and legs from dance practice made her a bit cranky. "Don't tell me you're going watch that soap opera all night long," Robin said with a small grin.

"Don't tell me _you're_ not going to sleep, Robin. I know you're tired," Siobhan said impatiently.

"Maybe, but that's for me to know and you to find out, Shivette," Robin replied back cryptically. A few minutes later, he found himself glaring back at those green eyes. Whatever those three were watching, it must have been a very good soap opera to get someone hooked on like this. She relented after a few more minutes and looked away. "I suppose I can wait until tomorrow," she muttered.

Siobhan rationalized that facing Black Canary half-heartedly and half awake would result in a major beating. Plus, only after a week, she learned what the hierarchy of the Team was. Kaldur was the leader, then Robin, and then the rest of the Team which now included her. It was better to follow the leader until she learned what the rules were in the Cave.

"Are you going to sleep in the rafters, Shivette," Robin called from below her. She looked down and saw the teen waving up at her direction. How in the world does the boy sneak around like that, Siobhan will never know. But she had to admit that although it would be a useful trick to hide in the shadows and jump out at someone, it was unnerving when that someone was her.

Siobhan disappeared from the rafters in a cloud of gray mist and reappeared a few feet away from him. "So how was your first week of school," Robin asked suddenly as they headed back to their rooms.

"It was not the way I'd picture it to be, but it was fine," Siobhan answered. Robin raised an eyebrow. "Really, Shivette? Care to explain," he asked.

"What is there to explain? My school has its typical cliques and groups just like any other school, it's just I have to wear a uniform," she said dryly. They were in front of Siobhan' room now, like before except both were aware of how late it was and how it wasn't the ideal time to be having a conversation at.

"Come on, team-building exercise. You tell me something and I tell you something," Robin said. He sat down and leaned against the wall before looking up at her. "Really? At this time at night," Siobhan asked incredulously. Robin snorted and looked at the wall across from him. "Neither of us really feels like going to bed right now. So this should kill some time," he said.

It was true, Robin knew it would take a while before he'd fall asleep again and Siobhan was probably still hyped up on the drama from the show. "I suppose you're right . . . again," she said and sat down beside him. "When am I ever wrong, Shivette," he said teasingly. She paused for a moment and looked at him. "I recall one time where you said you would win, but I ended up hitting you in the face and making you lose, remember," she said.

Robin pretended to caress the side of his face that Siobhan had hit a few weeks ago in pain. "I went easy on you, you know that," he said defensively. She snorted in derision and smiled. "Fine, if you think you won, then you won," she said.

"I was just kidding, Shivette," Robin said quickly, Siobhan frowned at him. "And just when I thought I was understanding sarcasm," she replied, "This isn't really how a team-building exercise is supposed to be like, right?"

And with that, a good chunk of time passed between them without anyone saying anything. While Siobhan was focusing on the rock patterns on the wall across from her, Robin glanced in her direction from time to time.

She was tired already, her eyelids were half closed and her breathing was slower than normal. Now, Robin could see why half the boys at Gotham Academy were leering at her behind her back and why Catherine from first period English and her clique were dogging on Siobhan.

He knew about Catherine and how she liked to gang up on Siobhan. She was after all, the typical mean girl at the Academy with her dyed platinum blonde hair and mask of make up. And Siobhan was the new girl; that made her an easy target for Catherine and her legion of Barbie-wannabes.

Siobhan was pretty, but the years she spent in Arkham seemed to have left her emotionally numb as well as a bit gaunt. That made her different from almost all the other girls in the Academy, with their primping and grooming. Her only accessory was the pair of black plastic frame glasses that made her seem a bit nerdy.

She had thick, shiny hair, heavy-lidded eyes, and dark lashes that weren't as monstrously long as other girls. There was no need for makeup, her skin was as pale as it gets and the shadows under her eyes seemed natural for some reason. But she still retained the semblance a fourteen year old girl, albeit a little more intimidating when she wasn't smiling.

"Robin, do you think I should get a cloak," Siobhan asked all of a sudden. She turned to him and gave him a sleepy look. "Batman said I could design my own costume for Shiv. I think I want a cloak," she whispered.

Robin smiled, "Sure, as long as you don't trip over it," he said.

"Do you always wear those sunglasses, Robin?"

"Yeah."

"Even when it's dark?"

"Mhm."

"Even when you go to sleep?"

The Boy Wonder wasn't going to answer that one. Past experiences with Wally sneaking into his room at night during their early stages of friendship taught him better. As harmless or innocent Siobhan may seem, he wasn't going to take a chance with sleeping with a mask on his face for month, especially now that she was in cohorts with Wally as well.

"Yeah," he finally said.

"They suit you."

"Why?"

"As you said, that is for me to know and you to figure out, Robin."

"I'm still going to get an answer from you, you know."

"And I'm still going to get a cloak."

Siobhan got up and stumbled against the wall. "Enough team-building exercise for today, I'm going to bed now. Good night." Robin stood up as well and watched as Siobhan shuffled into her room. A yellow eye opened and a soft growl sounded as the door slid close.

He walked back to his room afterwards, he was also feeling a bit tired. A glance at his alarm clock told him he was definitely sleeping in tomorrow, not even if it was Batman who was going to be the one who was going to wake him up.

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><p><strong>Shiz-Suji:<strong> This was my first attempt at some minor fluff, don't hate XD But let me know what you think, Reviews please and until then au revoir~


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Shitz-Suji doesn't own any part of Young Justice.**

**Shitz-Suji: **So I decided to update a bit earlier this week because I've been using this story as an outlet to procrastinate from homework, studying, and band. And I'm getting a BABY! It's a simulator doll from school and it cries and needs to be fed like a real baby. The only problem I have with it is knowing that it cries at NIGHT and its LOUD. Ok, enough ranting, Enjoy~

* * *

><p>(Mount Justice, February 10, 2012. 8:47 p.m)<p>

"Batman, 0-1"

In a blink of an eye, the entire Team stood present before the Dark Knight, who wasted no time in activating the holographic computer. A picturesque view of Chicago was pulled up and zoomed in on one person, a villain in particular. "On January 31, the Riddler was seen in broad daylight with a briefcase near the Chicago Board of Trade. Two days later, an explosion triggered the collapse of the building and billions of dollars in damage. The only thing the Justice League was able to recover was the briefcase itself and a riddle," Batman explained.

The image shifted from the ruins of a once beautiful skyscraper to a silver briefcase with a piece of paper inside of it. They were able to read it more clearly when Batman zoomed in on it. "The man who bought it doesn't need it, however the man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it," Artemis read slowly, "The heck is this?"

Robin read it over carefully. "A coffin! The man who bought doesn't need it, but the man who does doesn't know he needs one," he exclaimed. The rest of the Team raised their eyebrows at him quizzically. "Kinda dark, don'tcha think," Wally asked as he looked over the ruins of the building again.

"That's not all. Riddler was seen during daylight hours with two more villains," Batman continued. He pulled up two mugshots, one of a statuesque masked woman in a green kimono and another of a muscular male with blond hair. "No," Artemis muttered. But the Team gave no heed to her apparent distress. "On February 2, the Aon Center and Willis Tower collapsed at the same time, the companies residing in the towers had their assets mysteriously wired to a disclosed offshore account," Batman finished.

Another image of a piece of paper in a suitcase was pulled up. "The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they," Conner read out loud. Robin rolled his eyes at the simplicity of the question and scoffed at it, causing Kaldur to hit him with his elbow. "Footsteps," Wally said, "Duh."

"The League has tracked their headquarters to underneath the Lake Point Tower. Investigate only, but retaliate if necessary," Batman said as he tossed a flat white box over to Siobhan. "What's this," she asked.

"Suit up," Batman replied.

In less than four minutes, the entire Team was suited up and strapped to their seats aboard the Bioship. "So . . . Shiv, mind showing us your new kicks," Rocket asked playfully. Wally scoffed and slouched back in his seat. "What are you suppose to be, a nun? I- Ow!" Artemis gave a satisfied smirk and sat back in her chair.

"How about later," Shiv replied. The atmosphere eventually shifted into a comfortable silence as the Team gazed down at the surreal sight below them. "We're close to the drop-off zone. What do we do now," Miss Martian asked. Aqualad stood up and faced the Team. "We drop in a circular perimeter around the tower. Try to locate an entrance and alert the rest of the Team when you find one. Miss Martian, you and Robin find a way inside the building. The rest of us will be on standby," he said.

The hatches opened and the Team dropped silently onto the ground. "Link us up," Artemis whispered.

"_Link established. Everyone online?" _

"_Yes," the Team chorused._

"_Alright, while Miss Martian and Robin are inside the building, the rest of us pair up and try to see if we can find an entrance on the outside," Aqualad said._

Kid and Artemis immediately disappeared around a corner while Rocket and Aqualad were walking away. That just left Shiv alone with Superboy. "Let's go," he said briskly and stalked off.

"_Be careful, M'gann."_

_. . . "You too, Conner."_

They wandered around the building's perimeter in silence, occasionally overturning a bush or two as well as peering down the occasional manhole. "You and Megan, for how long," Shiv asked suddenly. Superboy stared blankly at her for a few moments and scratched his neck.

"A while," he finally answered. The normally stoic boy flushed dark pink as he answered, his eyes avoided looking at Shiv. "You don't have to be shy. I see you two like this everyday," she said bluntly. The timid look was replaced by an indignant and shocked expression. "Sorry," Shiv said quickly.

Superboy knitted his brows in confusion, "For what?" She raised her hands in defense and attempted to smile. "For prying. Ahaha . . . I'm still getting use to this whole freedom situation," she said lamely. Superboy lifted a manhole from its proper place and Shiv peered into the sewers below.

"You'll get use to it," Superboy said simply as he placed it back. They both disappeared back into the shadows as cars drove by where they stood moments ago. "I'll have to get use to the colors first, each one is so . . . different," Shiv said as she pulled up her hood, " . . . Do I sound like a lunatic to you?"

The Kryptonian smiled and walked back to the building.

(Chicago, February 10, 2012. 10:43 p.m)

"This is kinda weird, shouldn't there be security guards at this time of night," Miss Martian asked as she glided between two metal detectors. Robin gave no answer but typed away rapidly on his computer. "The employees and faculty went AWOL since January 31. No reports. Nothing," Robin whispered.

They ventured further into the building, but they found nothing out of the ordinary except the fact that the elevators and stairwells were sealed shut. But Robin broke down the elevator doors and they made their way up to the sixtieth floor. "Find anything," Robin asked.

Miss Martian shook her head and looked around. They seemed to have ended up in a corporate board meeting room, the kind Dick Grayson had been in when he accompanied Bruce Wayne to work. "Hey, what's that over there," Miss Martian suddenly said. Robin looked at where she was pointing, the scenic lake a few kilometers from the building where a hole the size of a small crater was opening up. The Martian girl pressed her face against the window to get a better look. "It looks like Cheshire and someone else," she said.

"_Everyone, head towards the lake," he said._

And since traveling sixty floors back down was too much of a hassle, the Boy Wonder decided to take an alternative shortcut. Through the window, his laughter echoed in the cold Chicago night.

The Team converged on the shore and watched as Sportsmaster and the Riddler drive away on a motorboat with a load of briefcases. Aqualad prepared to dive into the water when the engine froze and spontaneously combusted. Superboy and Shiv appeared in a cloud of mist and made their way towards the Team.

"Never again," he muttered. Meanwhile, Sportsmaster and Riddler emptied the boat's cargo into the water and jumped ship.

"_Let's go," Kaldur said_.

Artemis immediately shot a barrage of arrows at Sportsmaster, some narrowly missing his neck. The man turned in her direction and glared at her before throwing a heavy spiked ball at Kid who was charging at him. Kid barely had time to dodge as the force of the ball caused a small current to unbalance him.

"ARGHH!" Superboy smashed the boat into driftwood and turned his attention the Riddler, who was attempting to run for it. "No sooner spoken than it is broken. What am I," the villain asked. He turned the other way and was about to dive when Aqualad and Robin fazed into sight through mist.

A clocked figure hovered above them on a glacier, unsure what to do next. "Silence," Robin answered and punched the Riddler on his jaw. A force field containing Sportsmaster collided with Riddler as his body sailed in the air from the impact. A few meters away, Rocket gave a mock salute in their direction.

"Enough," Sportsmaster growled as he freed himself. He produced a javelin from his person and threw at the nearest person he saw which was Shiv. Instead, the metal spear shattered in midair and the pieces blew past the man's neck, cutting him. She threw back her cloak, revealing four thin, long, and sharp icicles that flew towards the villain.

A moment later, something or someone kicked her square in the back and sent her flying into Robin. "Well, I see you kids have found a new . . . plaything," a feminine voice drawled. Robin and Shiv resurfaced and found Cheshire sitting with her legs crossed on the glacier.

A barrage of trick arrows buried themselves at the base of the ice and exploded, Robin and Shiv dived underwater again to avoid getting caught up in the blast. While underwater, he sent a couple of his Batarangs towards Sportsmaster and Riddler's direction before pulling Shiv out of the way when they resurfaced.

Miss Martian pulled them both up into the air before the resulting explosion waves swept them both up. "Thank you," Shiv gasped. She quickly pointed her hand in Kid's direction to deflect Sportsmaster's flail as he started to spin and create a mini hurricane in the water.

Cheshire and Artemis were on the shore, locked in close combat while Superboy, Rocket, and Miss Martian were attempting to catch the Riddler and Robin Aqualad, Kid, and Shiv were battling Sportsmaster.

"What object has keys that open no locks, space but not room, and you can enter but not go in," the Riddler drawled below Rocket. Not far away from him, his muscular accomplice produced a small device from his pocket and sneered evily.

Robin didn't need a second to know what it was. "A keyboard," he realized. And it was for ALL the briefcases under the water. "Shiv," he called.

"_Everyone get in," Wally said hurriedly_.

Artemis was surprised as a dome formed around the battles going on in the water. She winced as her sister threw a well aimed punch at her stomach as water suddenly sloshed through the small gaps between the ice panels. "Looks like dad's going back to jail again, wouldn't want to be him," Cheshire mused, "And like the Cheshire Cat, I must fade back into the shadows. Until next time . . . sis." The archer watched in mild annoyance as her opponent slinked into the nearby shadows and vanished.

"_Is everyone alright," Miss Martian asked._

"_Cold," Wally replied._

" _. . . Sorry."_

The water and mist cleared and revealed two glowing energy fields encasing a villain each. The young heroes stepped out of their barrier and towards the force fields. Wally picked up a nearby piece of driftwood with a suitcase handle impaled through it and grinned.

"Sweet, souvenir."

(Chicago, February 11, 2012. 12:34 a.m )

Police cars swarmed the shoreline as the Team pulled Sportsmaster and Riddler onto the shore, still trapped in their individual prisons. The Justice League showed up moments later to help cart Sportsmaster to Belle Reve while Riddler was returned to Arkham.

Even though Green Lantern's energy field disrupted Riddler's face, Shiv managed to make out a deranged sneer aimed at her general direction.

During the ride home, the Team began to slowly defrost with the exception of Artemis. She however, was enduring the countless waves of flirtatious comments thrown her way by Wally, who wanted her to "warm him up."

Thankfully, when they arrived back at the Cave, they found eight mugs of hot chocolate waiting on the kitchen counter. Obviously, Red Tornado had made it for them because the drink tasted like hot chocolate water. But they chugged it down in a gulp and sighed as the warmth began coursing throughout their bodies. "Wish he could have made more," Wally grumbled.

With nothing else to do for the night, the Team gathered in the lounge and sat through countless episodes of Wally's drama. By early morning, the only ones who were awake were Megan, Siobhan, and Wally.

"So . . . what do you ladies have planned for Valentine's Day," the speedster asked with a sly grin. He pushed Robin away from him and leaned towards them to hear them over the commercial. "Isn't that a holiday for couples only," Siobhan asked.

"You don't have a date," Wally countered.

" . . . No."

Megan stuck her head between the two of them and prodded Wally. "Valentine's Day isn't for couples only. It's a holiday to show people how much you care about your friendship with them," she said sternly at her fellow red-head.

"But it's nicer when you have someone to share it with," Wally argued.

"I don't really care about such a meaningless day. In Arkham, everyday is the same," Siobhan drawled.

"We're gonna show you the meaning of holidays then," Wally said with a gleam in his eye.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yeah, this is gonna be so fun."

"I doubt it."

The two older heroes put their arm around Siobhan and smiled. "You liked Christmas, right," they asked in unison.

" . . . Perhaps."

"And who knows, you might end up getting lucky," Wally said teasingly and waggled his eyebrows.

On Sunday morning, Megan proposed the idea of the entire Team attending the Valentine's Day dance at her school during breakfast. Her normally bright and cheerful demeanor was amplified in addition to Conner's stern look that traveled from teammate to teammate made it impossible to refuse the Martian girl. But nobody really minded, they were able to have some downtime with a specific person that was also on the Team and they all realized that it was a chance to relax with each other without having Red Tornado "breathing" down their necks.

"Sweet, so we're all in," Wally declared. He went around and slapped his male teammates on their backs and winked at them.

" . . . Sure," Robin said reluctantly. Next to him, Artemis gave him a gentle push and smirked in Wally's direction.

"It's a semi-formal dance, so look nice," Megan chirped. She then transformed her normal clothes into a pale pink dress with a flared skirt. Everyone noticed how Conner's eyes focused only on her. She twirled once before the dress was transformed back into her shirt and fuchsia cardigan and skirt.

"We'll meet here at the Cave on Tuesday at 6:30 and head to the high school," Wally added.

(Mount Justice, February 12, 2012.)

At least Siobhan found out why Wally and Megan were so adamant about her joining them for Valentine's Day. That still didn't mean she would actually attend the dance, she liked being alone and she had no formal wear. But Megan, being the optimistic person she was, delivered an armload of dresses to Siobhan's room and made her try each one of them on.

She felt silly in the poofy skirts and bright colors. So she decided to do some last minute shopping, by herself in Gotham City. Surely, the extravagant boutiques there would have something that suited her tastes. Unfortunately, every dress she found reminded her of Catherine and how drab she would look in them compared to the girl.

It was almost evening and Siobhan didn't want to think about Megan fussing over her returning empty handed, that would just mean she would have to have to wear one of Megan's dresses. Black was a very nice color on her, but it also emphasized on how her complexion resembled a half dead person's.

She tried on green, gold, red, and white dresses and was about to give up when she spotted a particular dress in the corner. There was a whole rack of them, probably because nobody wanted to buy such a simple dress, but Siobhan was elated with her discovery.

It was a nice midnight blue, stylish and modest at the same time, sleeveless with a bowl neckline and a skirt that reached her calves. The only decorations on it were a simple gold belt cinched loosely at the waist and a line of gold buttons down the back.

In the fitting room, Siobhan marveled at how the dress fitted her. She might actually have a chance competing with Catherine in the appearance department now, she thought with a giddy smile. All she needed to do was to tame some of her windswept hair or pull it back even though it reached up to the upper half of her neck.

"Will that be all," the shopkeeper asked as she rang up her purchase. Siobhan looked at the display cases around her.

"Actually, I'd like to take a look at that, please."

(Gotham Academy, February 14, 2012.)

Valentine's Day at Gotham Academy was one of the biggest days of the year. Girls gossiped left and right, boys targeted and asked out girls almost every moment of the day. Dick himself was asked out by a few girls as well. The most annoying part was the cards and boxed chocolates; he only held onto Barbra's and shoved the rest into his backpack.

After French, Dick rushed out the Academy gates and bolted in Alfred's direction. He didn't even bother to return the butler's customary "how was your day, Master Dick." Instead, he urged the man to hurry back to the manor where he could do his homework and get ready, and perhaps wallow a bit at the fact that he was dateless on Valentine's Day. But that last part wasn't really his style.

No, his main cause for his distress was because Wally had pulled the men of Team together and concocted an insane idea to surprise their dates for the evening. Even Robin wasn't spared.

(Flashback)

"Kaldur gets Raquel, Conner's with Megan, Artemis with me, and you get Shiv," the speedster said bluntly.

"What," Robin asked indignantly.

"Think about it, wait, you don't like someone from your school right," Wally asked.

Robin shook his head.

"Problem solved. You get Shiv, Shiv gets you. Look, it doesn't have to be like you and Zatanna, just be a friend to her or something.

(End Flashback)

Just what was Robin going to surprise a former Arkham convict with? Dick Grayson certainly not going to the nearest jewelry store to buy diamonds, and he was sure Shivette didn't care either way about gifts, nor did he feel like going to the dance. But he couldn't refuse his best friend; that was how much he cared about the speedster. He just wished that Wally wasn't enforcing his idea.

At 5:30, he finished his homework and began to dress. A crisp white dress shirt, slacks, loafers, and a blazer seemed good enough. He mussed up his hair and shoved a pair of his sunglasses on his face before running down the stairs.

"You look rather dashing tonight, Master Dick," said an amused voice with a British accent. Alfred smiled at him and put down his feather duster to help straighten up Dick's collar. "May I ask who the lucky lady is tonight," he said.

Alfred was not helping Dick concentrate with his amused expression. "I'm just going to hang with some friends," he finally managed. But the butler patted him on the shoulder and gestured at an expensive looking vase with flowers arranged carefully in it.

"A simple flower makes a bold statement. You just have to pick which one."

(Mount Justice, February 14, 2012. 6: 25 p.m)

Artemis insisted on Siobhan taking some of her lip gloss, whatever that was. It tasted horrible when she accidentally put on a bit too much. After she pulled her hair into a messy chignon and curled a lock of hair to frame her face, something the archer helped with. Meanwhile, Megan was across the hall in her room helping Raquel with her appearance.

It was agreed on that the only cosmetics Artemis was allowed to apply on Siobhan was lip gloss and mascara, another feminine beauty product that almost poked out her eyes. She needed her eyes for tonight. But Artemis said it looked fine.

The archer was in an elegant green dress that reached her knees, it was bold and daring, and something Siobhan would never dream in a million years that she would wear. Artemis practically oozed confidence with her beautiful appearance and nonchalant demeanor.

Finally, Siobhan slapped on the finishing touches of her outfit, two gold metal wrist cuffs and gold sandals. The girl reflected back in the mirror looked like a whole different person, almost like Arkham never touched her.

They stayed in Siobhan's room until someone hammered and kicked on their door, shouting that it was time to go. The moment the door opened, Artemis was dragged away with a bright shock of red. Siobhan walked by herself through the Cave and Zeta-ed to Happy Harbor with the rest of the Team.

It didn't take that long to reach Happy Harbor High School, though they were detained at the entrance while Megan and Conner explained that they brought their friends from other schools to join them. Luckily, the two of them bought tickets for the rest of the Team ahead of time.

Inside, they sat down at a table and chatted while music blared around them. Wally and Artemis left and returned with a platter full of drinks and food. Then Megan pulled Conner to the dance floor and soon both disappeared from sight.

(Happy Harbor, February 14, 2012. 8:38 p.m)

It was only Robin and Siobhan left at the table now, everyone either got up and relocated to a more private location or was on the dance floor. Like Wally and his dance moves and then Artemis, who was watching with a grin on her face as she caught him from falling.

"Why are you still here" Siobhan asked suddenly. The Boy Wonder jerked out of his stupor and looked at her. "Because it's Valentine's Day, Shivette," he replied with a devilish smile.

"I just assumed that you'd be spending it with a girl, Robin," she said bluntly.

"So you're not a girl?"

"I meant someone you admire at your school or something. Not me."

"But I don't mind spending my Valentine's Day with you," Robin said with his crooked grin.

"Is _this_ flirting?"

"Do _you _think I'm flirting?"

" . . . . . . . . ."

"New topic, wanna dance?"

(Happy Harbor, February 14, 2012. 8:51 p.m)

Robin tried to hide his grin as he watched Siobhan attempt to dance the Robot, which ranged between terrible and abysmal. "You're too stiff, Shivette. Just think of Tornado," he said over the loud music.

She threw up her hands in frustration and stepped back. "I'd like to see you try, Robin. He complied and smirked in her direction as he moved his body in a robotic manner to the beat of the music. After a while, he stepped back and gestured for Siobhan to resume dancing.

"Go, your turn," he said. Siobhan tried the Robot one more time and when she saw how terrible she was at it, she pulled out a series of simple street dance moves probably to spite Robin. "Nice," he grinned.

They danced to pop and alternative rock music and eventually their ability to dance was downgraded to Wally's ability somewhat and both had to keep each other from falling. Somewhere during a rock song, the DJ switched it to a swing song and the crowd gathered in a circle to watch Megan and a suddenly shy Conner pull off a swing routine.

(Happy Harbor, February 14, 2012. 9:38

"This is FUN," Siobhan exclaimed as she "boogied" to some disco music.

Robin grinned. "Yeah, I know right." It had been a while since he was able to do some goofy disco moves without having Wally next to him, laughing and pointing.

Suddenly, a slow song cut off the festive beat they were dancing to and almost half the people on the dance floor headed for the tables, Siobhan included. But Robin grabbed her wrist and led her back.

"Wait, slow dances are for couples only," she sputtered.

Robin paused. "Where did you get that from," he asked.

"The internet, but . . . it's still social protocol . . . isn't it?"

"In the 1980s, but nothing wrong with slow dancing with a friend, come on," he said with a grin, "just think of it like disco, but slower and with less movement."

Even with Robin's explanation, they held each other at arm's length, causing other couples on the dance floor to give them amused glances their way. Eventually, the distance between them closed, mostly because their arms were too tired to be held out that far. But it helped relieve some of the tension between them; Robin could look straight again without meeting Siobhan's eyes and Siobhan focused on the buttons on Robin's shirt.

Before he knew what he was doing, Robin took the white orchid pinned to his breast pocket and fixed it in Siobhan's chignon.

"What's that for," she asked.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he muttered awkwardly. Something suddenly grew cold in the hidden pocket in his blazer and subsided.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she said back.

"What was that," he asked with a smirk.

She gave a small smile. "My gift to you."

The first song was quite long, they can't quite remember when it started but it was starting to end. "Talk to me, you're thinking about something and it's troubling you," Siobhan said suddenly.

"How do you know?"

"I know because I know, Robin. Talk."

What was there to talk about? Robin didn't want to ruin the moment going on between them by joking, but he didn't want to bring himself and Siobhan down with depressing talk. "Is this about a girl you like," she asked.

Uncanny, how she seemed to know what was plaguing him for the past months when he couldn't tell the difference between her happy and annoyed moods. Just like Zatanna did with him.

"It's sorta complicated and . . . " he trailed off.

"And . . . ," she gestured, "you don't have to worry about me telling anyone. I can keep things to myself."

"Ok fine, yes it is," he answered as he turned her. Those green eyes flashed as to tell him to continue.

"We use to date, but we . . . recently broke up and she's now halfway across the world."

"It sounds like you really care about her," Siobhan stated. Robin stuttered in an inelegant manner and gave up. "Yeah," he admitted. She made another gesture for him to continue.

"One moment we were fine and another, she was gone. What I mean to say is I loved her and she told me she did too, but . . ."

They stayed rooted to one spot on the dance floor, swaying as Robin tried to phrase his next words carefully. "I'm not sure she really meant it," he managed to say.

"I'm assuming this because I think . . . you two have been together . . . for a long while. But do you think she still cares about you," Siobhan asked.

"I don't know."

They swayed around the dance floor for a few minutes in silence before Siobhan answered. "I don't know much about human relationships, but it seems like you still care about her very much and if so, I think she still thinks the same way about you."

Robin's hidden insecurity suddenly flared up. "After all the obstacles we went through, I doubt it'll be the same even if we went back to befo-"

She cut him off and glared at him, but her green eyes were not annoyed or angry. They shone with a fierce light and finally she spoke.

"Impossible, that would be like sun forgetting how shine because of a few days of rain."

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> So I know this chapter is a bit shorter than the other chapter (except the first chapter), but I'll be updating soon, probably on the weekend to cope with my fake single parenthood situation. And if I don't update . . . then the baby simulator probably killed me or something. :D And I really appreciate all you guys that favorit-ed this story, but more reviews please? :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: If you've read the previous chapters, than I won't have to do the disclaimers :D**

**Shitz-Suji: **It's been about a week, so yeah . . . Anyways the weekend with the baby simulator was hell and the following week was full of band practice and fieldshow training which is why I'm updating kinda late. Anyways, this afternoon we lost the sweepstakes trophy to Montebello (They are a BAMF band if you know them or live in California) but we got second XD

**Additional ranting:** What the heck happened during the five years between season 1 and 2? Tula joined the Team as Aqualgirl and died? Kaldur turned to the dark side? Seems like he's pissed about not getting his cookies too. Artemis and Wally are still together though! (:D) and Roy and Cheshire got married and he has a daughter he never knew about XD I swear every episode I watch from Season 2, something always ends up trolling me . . . and probably all you out there as well, ok enough ranting, Enjoy~

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><p>(Gotham Academy, February 15, 2012. 11:23 a.m)<p>

"Oh my god, that is like, so sad! He actually said that?"

"I know right!"

The whirlwind of gossip was at its strongest during this time of year, during three particular days in February. The day before Valentine's day, the actual holiday, and the day after it and Dick Grayson was unfortunate enough to be seated between two girls who relished in listening about each other's exploits during World History. He tried to drown it out with the highlight of last night: Raquel challenging Kaldur to a dance contest. Oh, such good times.

(Gotham Academy, February 15, 2012)

Today, Catherine seemed to be more vindictive and vicious than usual. Her mood was so bad that even her usual group of friends seemed to be avoiding her during P.E. She almost hit Siobhan with a golf club and she didn't even apologize in contempt as usual. Turned out that the boy sitting next to Siobhan in English ended their relationship during Gotham Academy's dance last night and she was still in denial about it.

Siobhan avoided her in the locker room like the plague when she walked in her direction. But the girl went out of her way and tripped her. "Oops, better be a little more careful there, Laurent," Catherine sneered. Her friends instantly swarmed to her and laughed at Siobhan before walking out for lunch.

At least her phone was still intact after she dropped it. The little rectangle must have been more durable than she had thought.

(Gotham Academy, February 15, 2012. 12: 15 p.m)

By lunchtime, the whole school seemed to be buzzing with news about Catherine's breakup, even Dick and Barbra heard about it. If Catherine had been a little bit more well known among Gotham's elites, Dick wouldn't doubt the fact that even he would be roped into discussing her situation in Economics next. Barbra commented on how she looked like a "terrifying harpy from hell" today and he agreed whole-heartedly.

As expected, during Economics, everyone was gossiping more than usual about who did what, who wore what, scandals, and such. And Andrew, the boy who dumped Catherine was right smack in the middle of the circle relating his story of the breakup to anyone who wanted to hear.

Dick didn't even remember he was in the class until everyone was huddled in a circle around him. He spent the remainder of class time reading the newspaper and finishing his French homework.

Finally, it was the last period of the day, just one more hour and he'd be back home. Barbra gave him a little wave as she entered the classroom and he cheerfully smiled at her.

"Alrighty class, pleaz take out ze books and turn to page 421."

(Gotham Academy, February, 15, 2012. 2:41 p.m)

Dick felt a little disappointed that Siobhan didn't even speak to him during French class today. He had grown use to their mini "arguments" in French, even the teacher didn't mind anymore as long as they were speaking in French. But today, she had her head down on the desk facing the teacher and scribbling random notes here and there, so different from the Siobhan who took center stage last night dancing to "Funky Town" in a way that would have made Wally proud.

And then there was their private conversation they had while slow dancing. His sudden slip from suave teenage vigilante to sappy schoolboy was embarrassing. Thankfully, Siobhan didn't ask anymore questions. But the little speech she made later on revealed that somewhere deep down, she could be a closeted romantic.

That made him grin, just a bit. Suppose Siobhan was influenced that way by those soap operas, if so how bad was Wally's case?

Afterschool, Alfred picked him up and made small talk with him in the car. Later on, he finished all of his homework, just minutes before Bruce got back home from another day at work. For some reason, the man was looking uncharacteristically smug today. But there was still a trace of the infamous Batglare that made any attempt to talk about it wasted effort.

(Wayne Manor, February 15, 2012. 11:12 p.m)

If it weren't for the fact that Dick wasn't living under Bruce Wayne's roof, he would be twiddling his thumbs while thinking of something to do. But he was, so he spent half the remainder of his night rereading classic literature from Alfred's recommended reading list. The man always seemed to have a copy ready no matter how many times the previous one was destroyed . . . or disappeared.

The other half he spent examining Siobhan's "gift" to him from last night. It was an ice sculpture, a miniature robin with a twig in its beak. How his breast pocket remained flat until he reached inside and pulled it out was a mystery. Never the less, it made a dazzling addition to his collection of knick knacks on his bookshelf.

(Gotham Academy, February 17, 2012. 6:52 p.m)

Thank goodness it was finally Friday. Siobhan couldn't stand another moment having to watch her back in case Catherine decided to take out her pent up anger on her again. After all the taunting and trips to the ground, she was on full alert whenever her or one of her friends was in a mile radius and it was about a month since she enrolled. Didn't the girl have some other poor soul to torture?

Not that Siobhan wanted that for anyone else though. The performing arts building was nearly empty and it was nearing seven now. She threw her school blazer over her shoulders and walked out to the gate. Not surprised, she waved to Robin who was leaning on the iron wrought gates with that smirk of his.

It was Wally's subtle way of telling her to hurry back to the Cave to watch the drama with Megan and him and unfortunately, Robin was the one stuck with the job of messenger boy. It's been going on for about a month since Siobhan's first week of school.

She would catch the helmet he threw her and ask him not to pull any stunts. Later on, while he was driving, she would always have fits of terror as he popped a wheelie or drove faster than the Bioship or almost run into a truck. Then back at the Cave, he would get off the motorcycle and laugh as she stumbled out of the garage with trembling legs. Oh joy, what will this week's encounter with death be, she thought tartly.

"Please, promise me that you won't pull a – what did you call them again," Siobhan asked." Robin threw her the spare helmet and got on. "What? You mean a 360 turn wheelie," he smirked.

"Precisely."

The smirk morphed in a devilish grin as he pulled down the visor and turned on the engine. "Can't make any promises, Shivette."

But during the ride home, he drove under the speed limit, stuck to traffic and best of all did not perform any tricks with his motorcycle. Suddenly, he took a left turn and pulled up against the curb. "Why are we stopping," Siobhan asked.

"Just making an unscheduled detour, trust me you'll like this," he said. Without giving anymore explanation, he stowed away Siobhan's backpack and practice bag and their helmets before pulling her to a nearby building. "Lucky Strike Lanes," she read slowly from the neon sign, "What on earth are we doing here?"

He gave a sheepish grin and pulled out his wallet, "The others at are Happy Harbor doing the late Valentine's Day carnival and you know . . . let's just go in," he finished. Just like that Siobhan found herself in rental bowling shoes and a bowling ball in her hand.

"Aim center," Robin called. Then he pointed up at the screen that showed their scores, his with a row of strikes and spares and hers with a total of seventeen pins hit. If the rest of the Team was back at the Cave, then she would gladly walk back herself, but first she needed to prove that she could bowl without having someone give her instructions every minute.

She took a step back and ran forward with the ball only to slip on the greased part of the lanes as she let go of it. The only thing that eased her humiliation was the sound of pins being knocked over. "Dude, that was so epic," she heard Robin laugh.

When she picked herself up, she found that all ten pins were knocked down and her score raised to a twenty-seven. That still didn't erase the fact that Robin was sixty points ahead of her. He got up and picked a ball and waited as the pins were set up before he threw it.

"Aww man, got a spare," he groaned. Siobhan gave her last turn to him and bought them cheeseburgers, milkshakes, onion rings, French fries, and sundaes while he was finishing up the game with her plastic card. It felt right since Robin paid for the games. After that, he dragged her over to the arcade and introduced her to the strategy games.

"Ok Shivette, never ever take the options from the corners or the edges, stick to the ones in the middle. They got the most money," he instructed. But while he was saying so, Siobhan was awed by the flashy screen and touched the card on the corner. "Ohhh," she gasped as the machine began spitting out tickets.

"Nevermind," Robin said.

They played the driving games next, something that Siobhan lost fourteen times in a row because she couldn't bear to crash into anyone or drive over their vehicles not even when Robin's racecar used hers as leverage and drove over it. "I would have won, you know," she said briskly.

He laughed. "Sure, if driving like a grandma in Grand Theft Auto would make you win then I'll try it next time." But when he introduced her to Dance, Dance Revolution next, she mopped the floor with him. "That's right," she gloated, "You got covered . . . with cream," she finished lamely.

"Don't you mean you got creamed?"

"I swear it sounded better when Wally said it."

They tried the claw machines afterwards, but not for the prizes, just for the fun of it. Robin groaned in exasperation as the plush toy fell back into the pile. "Step aside and let me try," Siobhan said. A few moments later, they were peering through the glass and checking if the claw was aligned with the toy. Once Robin nodded, Siobhan pushed the red button and watched as the claw picked out the toy and carried it over to the drop zone.

But when it was close to the drop, the toy slipped out of the tiny claw and fell back in the pile. Siobhan was going to try again with her own money when Robin pulled out all the tickets they won during the evening. "Let's go score some major prizes," he grinned.

All together they had about three thousand tickets. Siobhan wasted no time choosing what she wanted. "I want that . . . thing and the keychain," she said. She was still pointing at said thing when the woman behind the counter went to the backroom to get one for her. "Lava lamp, cool," Robin asked, "Just try not to let Wally find it."

The woman came back with four boxes. "Red, blue, green, or purple," she asked tiredly. Siobhan took the blue one and waited as the woman got one of the keychains for her and all it cost them was a thousand four hundred tickets. Robin decided to get a pair of cheesy car dice, five Chinese fingertraps, and a pair of novelty sunglasses for Wally. The woman was kind enough to provide them with a bag to store their winnings in.

(Gotham City, February 17, 2012. 9:59 p.m)

"So what now," Siobhan asked. It was about ten and even though they were both in the nicer districts of Gotham, they could hear police sirens not far from where they stood.

"The others are probably still at Happy Harbor, so we got a lot of time to kill," Robin replied, "Wanna walk around?"

When he looked around, Siobhan was already gone. She was halfway across the block and peering through a window. "Wait, Shivette, come ba-" But she already entered the store. Sighing, he took his time to walk to the shop (which was a bookstore) and by the time he went in, Siobhan was at the cash register with a stack of books. "What," she asked.

"Nothing," he answered back a bit too quickly. The cashier looked at them both and winked in his direction. It only took a moment to understand what the man meant and Robin tried not to blanch as the man shot him a beaming smile. "Thank you and good night," the cashier said cheerily.

They walked around the city in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly, a ragged looking fellow jumped out in front of them, wielding a pocket knife. "Hey there, Missy, what are you doing out here so late," he rasped. Robin turned his head around and saw a group of people with weapons approaching them.

"Ditch the loser and come with us!"

"Nice piece of ass!"

"Gonna have fun tonight!"

The man in front of them stepped closer and grinned at them, his crooked teeth sickly yellow in the streetlight. "So how 'bout it girl? Wanna have some fun with us," he slurred. Robin saw the man's eyes trail down from Siobhan's face to her bare legs, of course she was still in her academy uniform. But unfortunately for him, Siobhan herself noticed and clenched her fist.

"Move," she said simply. But all the guy did was step forward and reach out for her face and-

CRACK! He fell down with a thud and Robin kicked the knife away from him. "Don't touch me so freely," Siobhan snarled. The men behind them tensed and held their weapons up higher. But that didn't stop Robin from lunging for the nearest one and deliver a crushing blow to his head.

While Siobhan was dispatching a few near her, one held her up by her arms and picked her up. He laughed, a scratchy, dry noise and held a knife at her throat. "Damn girl, you're a feisty one." What he didn't count on was Siobhan sticking her foot between his legs and kicking up. "Not on my life," she said as the man lay crumpled on the pavement with his hands on the area where the sun doesn't shine.

After Robin and Siobhan took out all of them, they rummaged in the nearby dumpsters for some discarded lengths of twine, tied the men up and then they called the police, grabbed their things, and ran for it.

"That was exhilarating," Siobhan gushed as they ran back to the motorcycle, "We literally kicked . . . butts! Robin had to laugh when she tried to flap her arms like she was going to throw a punch, but obviously they were still running. Not so far away, they could hear sirens closing in and in the distance they could see the motorcycle.

(Mount Justice, February 17, 2012. 11:04 p.m)

There were police cars on every street and no matter where Robin turned; he would always find one or two of them parked along the curb. So he ended up driving through the ravine all the way back to the billboard where the entrance of the garage was. Siobhan, though still shaken from the trip back couldn't help but grin at their disheveled appearances.

"You look terrible," she laughed as she took off her helmet. Robin's sunglasses were crooked, his hoodie was swept over his shoulder and his messy hair was messier than usual.

"You don't look like sleeping beauty either, Shivette," Robin retorted as he threw her backpack at her. He smirked at the messy waves of hair, the untucked shirt, and one sock that was sagging towards her ankle as he tossed over Siobhan's backpack over. They both burst out laughing all of a sudden.

(Mount Justice, February 17, 2012, 11:38 p.m)

Wally watched for the entrance to the garage as his best friend and new teammate were dividing novelty item prizes from a big plastic bag. Suddenly, Siobhan stuck out her fist towards Robin. When it became clear that Robin had no idea what she wanted him to do with it, she took his hand, made it into a fist and bumped it into hers.

"Learned that one from school," she said with a mischievous smile. She then hugged the lava lamp box close to her body and turned to smoke. The speedster had to quickly hide himself in a corner as the cold breeze passed by, least she knew he was there and went back to alert Robin.

When Wally was sure that Siobhan was gone, he leapt from his hiding place and half-tackled, half-hugged Robin. "You went on a date," he exclaimed. Robin raised an eyebrow as his voice cracked.

He cleared his throat and tried again, "I mean, so you went on a date . . . with _Shivette_."

"What date," his friend asked skeptically.

From his pocket, the redhead produced a small GPS. "This little baby here placed your bike and you at one "Lucky Strike Lanes." I just had to check on you during the carnival, you know like if you got hurt, Bats would have our heads," he explained.

Robin shrugged," We just went bowling and beat up a few bad guys."

"Which is hero lingo for date when a male and female are involved," Wally insisted.

"I call it a friendly outing, dude."

The speedster had to pause and think about it for a second before he said something. "Knowing you, you probably paid for bowling and the arcade games. That totally counts as a date," he concluded triumphantly.

"She paid for food and I didn't buy her anything," Robin countered smoothly as they exited the garage.

"I don't care. You went on a date with a hot girl and you call it a friendly outing," Wally asked incredulously.

The younger boy raised an eyebrow. "Artemis is going to kill you, you know right," he said with his trademark smirk.

"Not like that, dude. So not cool. But anyways, don't the boys at your school like check her out or something like that? Cuz' if you ask me, those glasses are not doing anything to help," Wally said a little bit too seriously.

They stopped in their tracks; Robin looked at his friend with a questioning expression while said friend tried to look as nonchalant as he could about it. "I brought some nachos and cotton candy if you want some dude," Wally offered weakly.

Suddenly, this almost seemed like a good time to find Artemis and see if she wanted to join in on this conversation.

(Mount Justice, February 18, 2012. 12:46 p.m)

The two boys went home after some hardcore late night gaming where Wally recounted the funniest events that went down in the carnival, especially the reason why the Team had to come back to the Cave earlier than expected. Then when he continued to drill Robin down for the details of his outing, the younger boy just tuned him out with the sound effects from the game.

Robin didn't care that by not answering, he was probably digging himself in a deeper hole with Wally, but if he did answer, then the redhead would just twist everything he said until it sounded like a date. But thankfully, the pair of novelty glasses occupied the speedster for the rest of the night.

When he got back to Wayne Manor, he was surprised to find Bruce watching a basketball game instead of slaving away doing paperwork in his study or down at the Batcave. They talked for a while about the game's stats and at one point, Bruce unintentionally unwove one of Robin's Chinese fingertraps.

"Freeze and Killer Croc were caught today," the man said gruffly as he wove the fingertrap back.

Robin leaned back on the plush sofa and took out the car dice. "That just leaves Joker, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn then," he said while examining them. Then he held them up for Bruce to see. "Think these will look good in the Batmobile," he asked with a grin.

"Try it and there will be consequences," Bruce replied darkly. But he was smiling as he said it.

The next morning, Robin got up early as usual and trained until it was breakfast time. After that, he breezed through a pile of homework like it was nothing. Then came lunch: mint and potato salad with a chocolate milkshake. Right after that, he had to make his way to the Cave before Black Canary did and started combat training without him.

The Team lined up in the main hall as Black Canary arrived through the Zeta-Beams. She looked flustered as she walked towards them. Not far from Robin, Wally smirked and mouthed "Green Arrow" at him before Kaldur and Conner both elbowed him. "Ow," he cried out.

(Mount Justice, February 18, 2012. 3:14 p.m)

It was like playing jump rope when one was fighting with Artemis. She favored low sweeping kicks over direct hits and Siobhan found out the hard way. But she was learning quickly now, the beatings and defeats she received during Black Canary's rigorous training exercises were getting less and less frequent and she could last about an hour in the ring with the woman.

Not wanting to injure her friend, Siobhan grabbed the archer's shoulder and pushed it down to the ground. Artemis groaned as the computer started beeping to announce her defeat. "Very good, I see you two have been practicing," Canary praised.

Half an hour later, Black Canary let them go early and made them promise to her that they would continue to practice. Naturally, they all agreed, but as soon as she was gone everyone headed to the lounge for some rest. Immediately, Megan flew off to the kitchen to make popcorn while Wally and Siobhan headed to the lounge to turn on the TV. Everyone else stared when Conner slowly walked to their direction.

"What," he asked.

No one said a word, but Conner could see what they all wanted to say.

"It's a good show," he defended before walking away

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> I know this one is a little shorter than the other one, but I'm working on the next one after this and it's going to be longer. Some constructive criticism por favor XD

French teacher: Click ze Review button and I shall gize you ze A+~


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Yow know what I was gonna put down. \(^-^)/**

**Shitz-Suji:** It's been a week, well a little more than one since I updated. Whatever, is it just me or do I smell potential between Nightwing and Cassie~ And Batgirl has sass, **Shitz-Suji** likes sass. Oh well, there's only like two-weeks of school left for me, so yay XD Ok, 'nough ranting, Enjoy~

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><p>(Gotham City, March 10, 2012. 8:45 p.m)<p>

Bruce Wayne looked absolutely wicked as he stepped out the limousine with his tailored suit and polished shoes. Hands in his pockets, he strode with an arrogant yet carefree look through the chaotic crowd of paparazzi – with power, purpose, and confidence in every step. Following behind him was Dick Grayson, his ward, who could give every teenage heart throb around a run for his money.

The best part? Just knowing that they showed up would guarantee this charity function on tomorrow's Gotham Tribune front page.

They were at the _Yves Saint Valentino_ charity auction where the elite of the elite gathered to compete for ownership of some of the most exquisite things the world had to offer. And Bruce Wayne, being the entrepreneur he was accepted the invitation to come just because he had nothing better to do. But an event like this could lure out some of Gotham's most dangerous and the Batman was ready to take them on.

(Gotham City, March 10, 2012. 9:02 p.m)

Moments after the two entered the ballroom, Bruce went his own way and chatted up a pretty woman and her escort for the evening. Not that Dick could blame him, the man had a flair for charming his way into potential business deals and dinner dates. That just left him to spend the night on the balcony with a chilled glass of cider and his cell phone.

But he couldn't even do that when the some of the younger debutantes tried to ask him for a dance, some even asked him out. He recognized some of them instantly because he rejected them at previous functions, others were new faces. So when Wally wouldn't answer his texts, he politely asked one of them for a dance and led her over to the dance floor.

Dick lamented the fact that Barbra couldn't come with him. But Commissioner Gordon disliked his niece being out so late and with a boy, especially him after reading about his escapade with Zatanna in the papers months ago.

About two hours later, the older members in the crowd headed towards the auction room, Bruce among them. He shot Dick a smug look and filed in with the other finely dressed people.

"Hey, Richard," a familiar voice called.

When Dick turned around, he was accosted with the color red and an oh-so-familiar grin. "Dude, how did you get in here," he whispered.

"They don't call me Kid Flash for nothing, you know," the person replied.

Dick snorted. "Likewise, but didn't you have something with Artemis tonight," he asked.

The speedster straightened his tie and glanced at the buffet table. "She had to take a rain check, so I came to answer your plea for help," he teased. They both laughed at this and headed for the food.

(Mount Justice, March 10, 2012. 7:53 p.m)

"I called you here today - alone - for a mission. There has been disturbances in Star City where several minor technological facilities have been attacked and their equipment stolen, including a large amount of experimental military software for weaponized drones."

The Batman paused on the screen and continued. "Professor Ivo, who broke out of Belle Reve Penitentiary half a year ago is suspected to be behind these attacks. Find out what does he want and what is he going to do. Consider this as your _test_."

Siobhan shifted uncomfortably under his glare. Even though he was on a gas screen, it did not make it any less intense. "I-I leave now right," she asked quietly.

"You leave _now._ Suit up and head to the garage, Red Tornado should have transportation ready for you." With that, the Batman narrowed his brow and the screen disappeared. Siobhan ran back to her room with dread and reached for her costume in her closet, but hesitated.

It wasn't that she didn't feel like going through with the mission, but she had a feeling like she was going to fail at it. The last mission she went on with the Team almost ended up with her being suffocated to death by clay. Plus dealing with school and matter like that – including Catherine – did not help much with boosting her confidence, not that she had much to start with.

"_Enough moping, S10B14N! If the Batman said you are going, then you are going," _Siobhan winced at the use of her real name, but her conscience was right. And she didn't have much time left. What did the others do when their self-confidence was down? Siobhan didn't know, but on T.V, women would change some aspect themselves to make themselves feel better.

Suddenly, her hand lurched away from the cloak and jumpsuit to the far end of her closet where all the shopping bags from Raquel and Artemis were stored.

(Gotham City, March 10, 2012. 9:20 p.m)

Dick tried to back away from the buffet table as people were starting to stare at the red-head gobbling down the food. If they didn't know any better, they'd think he was a starving homeless person in a tuxedo who bypassed security and got in just for the food.

"Dude, you want some of this quiche? It's sooo good," Wally moaned. When he noticed some of the patrons glaring at him, he put down his plate and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," he quipped as he pushed grabbed Dick and ran from the scene.

(Mount Justice, March 10, 2012. 8:01 p.m)

When Batman said transportation, he meant transportation. Standing on the far side of the garage was a sleek pure white motorcycle. Siobhan walked up to it gingerly and started the ignition. She didn't have that much time to admire it since she was on a time limit to leave the Cave, but that still didn't stop her from gently patting the smooth surface of the helmet.

Once she passed through the Zeta-Tube, she found herself on an abandoned highway near what could be considered the outskirts of Star City. Siobhan straightened her mask – a phantom-of-the-opera-esque piece of plastic – that she _borrowed_ from the prop closet from the Academy. The computer on the headboard gave her a brief description of who this Professor Ivo was and Siobhan didn't seem thrilled to face him, or his creations.

She was to head to a storage facility near Star Lab and make herself as discreet as possible so when the next attack comes, she'd be ready to intercept it and take down Ivo and retrieve the stolen technology.

Thank goodness, Siobhan had the sense to pull the helmet's visor down because many of the locals near the slums were giving her whistles and derogatory comments. If she wasn't on a mission, she would have frozen their tongues for offending her.

(Gotham City, March 10, 2012 9:35 p.m)

"Would you like a martini," the waiter gestured at his platter with a flourish and smiled politely at Wally and Dick.

"Sorry, we're kind of underage here," Dick replied and backed away with Wally following suit. They were currently avoiding a couple of debutantes who seemed hellbent to dance with them. Dick was just avoiding them because he didn't feel like dancing, but Wally was a whole different story.

The speedster knew what happened at this billion dollar functions, one slip up and your face becomes _the _topic for gossip for the next week or two, depending on what you did. So if he was caught in a dangerous situation with another girl, imagine what his parents would say, or his aunt Iris, or more importantly, Artemis.

But it was hard to avoid the debutantes, they were like wolves out for blood, more specifically any male with money or looks. With their pointy stiletto heels and shimmering gowns, they were ready to kill.

"Dude, you wanna like take a fall for me here," Wally groaned. They mingled with the patrons near the walls, who were discussing business. Some seemed genuinely happy to see them while others glared at them, their ferocity could almost rival Batman's. "I think we should leave right now," Dick straightened his blazer and pointed at the trio of giggling girls a few meters away from them.

(Star City, March 10, 2012. 9:08 p.m)

The storage facility was quite large and it came with its own security system, but with the right wavelength and hacking, one could easily disarm the alarms and laser cannons and steal whatever was inside. Which was why Siobhan tried her best to upgrade it as possible.

On the roof tops nearby, she placed little birds for watch out. They become dangerous if Siobhan willed it to, but only if they sensed danger. A mild fog was placed in a mile radius around the facility and a statue of Black Canary was placed inside the compounds in case the first two defenses failed.

Siobhan herself was waiting nearby in a tree with half her body vaporized. Since the motorcycle was too flashy (and valuable) to be hidden near the site, she placed it in an alley behind a restaurant not far from where she was. Now all she needed to do was wait.

(Star City, March 10, 2012. 11:03 p.m)

Two hours and still no sign of any attackers, Siobhan was really starting to think that the Batman was just testing her patience. He was always doing that, especially when he was present for her training sessions with Black Canary. The man made it a point to criticize her every mistake, not matter how small or irrelevant. He also made very clear that despite his decision to allow her to join the Team on missions, she was still an amateur.

A sharp screech cut through the quiet night and Siobhan felt one of the birds activate as the screeching got louder. The fog was also at work, but apparently some of the enemies got through. She floated over to the facility and waited for the action to come to her.

A flying ball of metal propelled itself through her and hit the metal wall. It looked like a . . . harmless mechanical monkey. Or that was what she thought until it started firing lasers from its eyes through the metal. Siobhan moved some water vapor inside its system and liquefied it. So apparently, they were not water proof.

Just then, a black mass blew past her, indiscriminately firing green lasers at the building. Siobhan knocked some of them away and placed her mirror barriers around the building before proceeding to destroy the attackers. But they were smart, half of them converged on her as she solidified her body while the other half worked on breaking the ice.

In desperation to escape the mechanical mayhem, she created three more birds. Their beaks and wings were razor sharp and their talons were thick enough to claw through metal. One of them stayed to fend off the monkeys while the other two headed for the ones destroying the barrier.

Siobhan managed to free herself from the swarm and looked at the sky with annoyance as another swarm of monkeys rained down on the compound. So without hesitation, she raised a hand at the machines and released an icy sweeping beam that decimated half the swarm. Then she grabbed a nearby monkey by its tail and used it was a whip to knock down the other.

The blasted contraption freed itself from her grip and fired its lasers at her and knocked her down from the sky. When she came to, Siobhan found numerous burns on her body. Suddenly, the compound's security system was activated, but the laser cannons didn't stand a chance to the monkey's barrage of fire.

Siobhan looked through the gaping hole in the metal wall and found Black Canary in shards and watched as the monkeys flew away with three large metal trunks.

(Gotham City, March 10, 2012. 11:17 p.m)

The two boys found themselves the center of attention when Dick struck up a conversation with a group of patrons in their mid-twenties and discussed politics and news with them. Meanwhile, Wally was shooting jokes off left and right, charming many of the guests at the function. They shot each other sly grins as they watched the hoard of girls nearby glaring at the people surrounding them.

"Guys, you know what they say about getting married is true. When your wife says something is right, it's better to suck up your pride and give in before they prove you wrong," Wally elbowed a nearby man with a grin and looked at the others with a jovial expression. The women nodded with knowing smiles, while the men slapped each other on the back, acknowledging this fact.

Wally suddenly found a hand on his shoulder and found Dick with a devilish smirk on his face. "You know that doesn't just apply to getting married, right?"

(Star City, March 10, 2012. 11:48 p.m)

Siobhan grabbed one of the monkeys in the pile and crushed its head against the pavement in frustration. _"Batman is going to have your head after this," _Siobhan couldn't help but agree with the little voice in her head. From the corner of her eye, she saw a monkey crawling on its hand towards the building which still contained valuable research material and was open to attack.

Immediately, she swooped over and grabbed it before sealing the hole with three thick layers of ice. After, a solid dome of ice was placed over the entire compound with a thick fog surrounding it. "This better be worth it," Siobhan grumbled as she destroyed the monkey's eyes

She didn't know why she brought the machine back to the motorcycle with her, but intuition told her she should. There was a panel sealed shut on the monkey's back, but if she used her powers, the thing would shut down and she would end up with a dead trail. So she used the next best thing, a rock to bash in the panel.

The thing was so dented by the time she was through that she had to scrape off the excess metal that blocked the access pad to the computer inside it. There was a USB port in its back and one USB connected to the motorcycle. Putting two and two together, she jammed the thing inside the monkey and found where the rest were heading. East Gotham City.

(Gotham City, March 10, 2012. 11:37 p.m)

Even though the Yves Saint Valentino function was suppose to be a formal gala, Wally managed to turn it into somewhat of a party. Thank goodness that the paparazzi weren't allowed inside the building. Everyone was laughing at Wally's stunts, even Dick couldn't help grinning as his friend broke out his infamous dance moves to impress some middle-age women. They were smiling at him endearingly and cuffed him playfully by the ears when he held out his fist out for a bump.

Dick supposed it was his turn to show off. He couldn't let his friend have _all _the fun after all.

(East Gotham City, March 11, 2012. 12:23 a.m)

The stench of smoke and decay surrounded East Gotham as Siobhan drove past the run down buildings and their occupants. East Gotham was not a place she wanted to be in again, not after the last time she was in it. But that was almost five years ago, yet she still remembered ever cent she stole, every fight she won, and every person who fired a gun at her.

She grimaced as she passed the rubble of where a video store once stood. "I use to sleep there," she thought. The GPS on her dashboard placed the monkeys about twenty meters from where she was now. Siobhan revved the engine and raced off through the deserted streets even though every cell in her body told her to turn back.

The GPS's destination was a crumbling apartment building with dead plants littering the lawn. Siobhan hid the motorcycle near a dumpster and walked through the gates. Inside was a dark and dank living area, cockroaches scurried all over the floor and a thick layer of dust covered everything. Nothing seemed to be disturbed, except a wooden door with a broken handle and keypad.

Siobhan dug her combat boots into the ground and kicked through the rotting wood with ease. Behind it was a sleek metal door; it looked brand new and strangely foreboding. But it was destroyed after a dozen icicles ripped through the metal like paper.

Everything beyond the entrance was sleek and modern, from the florescent lights to the stairs. A chitterling sound came from behind her and Siobhan barely had enough time to react as something large pounced on her.

(Gotham City, March 11, 2012. 12:13 a.m)

The auction was almost over and the Yves Saint Valentino charity auction went back to being a gala. Wally returned to his old charming self and was currently chatting with a news reporter who knew his aunt. Meanwhile, Dick had several potential business partners for Bruce lined up and ready to go once the man stepped out from the auction room.

"So, any of you strapping young men here with a pretty girl tonight," a middle-age man asked with a twinkling smile. Wally immediately slung his arm around his best friend's neck and pulled him closer. "Sorry, we're taken," he pouted and shot Dick a wink. "But they're not here tonight."

"Such a shame, my daughter would love get to know you two. There aren't that many boys out there with charisma like the both of you, those girls must be very lucky indeed," a woman giggled and gulped down her champagne.

On cue, one of the girls that were chasing them earlier appeared by the woman's side and shot them a suggestive smile.

"Uhh, no thanks. We'll take a rain check tonight," Dick said and backed away.

(East Gotham City, March 12, 2012. 12:34 a.m)

There was an ungodly pain pounding through Siobhan's head, unlike the kind that she usually felt after one of her night terrors. "W-where am I," she mumbled. Her body felt tied down and sluggish.

"My laboratory. I couldn't have you stomping through it like a gorilla, could I?" The cool, lilting voice caused Siobhan's eyes to snap open and scan her surroundings. Over in the corner of the room, she found a tweedy looking man with a monkey on his shoulder.

"Well. It's not exactly my laboratory. I just found it," he waved his hands at the opposite walls where a number of pods lined up. They looked so familiar, Siobhan thought. "Are you Professor Ivo," Siobhan snapped.

The monkey chattered and jumped off the man's shoulder. "I am, are you the baby the Justice League sent to take me down," the man or Professor Ivo asked mockingly. "I expected someone more . . . experienced." Siobhan tried to freeze Ivo with her powers, but found them unresponsive.

"Uh-uh-uh, inhibitor collars. No ice, no escape," Ivo took a control of the large table and pressed a button. The surface that Siobhan was cuffed to was raised until she faced the opposite wall. Lines of containment pods filled the opposite wall. _"This can't be, I thought I wiped them out years ago."_

She was developed in one of those pods for the sole purpose of destruction and domination, which was why as soon as she was liberated from the Doctor she destroyed the rest, so there were no more Dolls to risk the city's annihilation. So why were these here? Did she forget them?

"What do you plan to do," her voice went an octave higher and the Professor smirked at this sign of fear.

"If you wish to know, I happened to find these beauties while visiting a certain . . . friend. And I thought I'd put them to good use. Fusing the biology of the human mind and body with technological limbs and powers is a first. Which is why you'll be my first experiment, girl," the professor walked over and cupped her chin. "You are very pretty, let's not struggle too much. I want to preserve your good looks as much as possible during the procedure."

His fingers touched a spot where she had been burned by the monkey's laser eyes. Siobhan spat at him and yelped when the monkey shot her with its laser eyes. "Careful now, my MONQI is very protective of me," he said with sickly sweet sympathy.

"Then get your mangled paws away from me," she snarled.

Suddenly, the power went off and the room was bathed in darkness. Siobhan's inhibitor collar blinked and shut down. Before the power could turn back on, Siobhan gripped the contraption, froze it, and ripped it off her neck. That still didn't stop the sluggish feeling her body was under.

"You-you drugged me," she realized out loud.

"Only some anesthesia. I don't like it when my experiments are loud," Ivo said casually as he ducked down when Siobhan threw the collar at him. Something hard slammed into her and sent her flying into a wall. A small crater was created upon impact. But Siobhan picked herself up and faced her opponent: a much larger version of the MONQI.

"Monkey or MONQI, I call you scrap metal," she said threateningly.

(Gotham City, March 11, 2012. 12:54 p.m)

"How long do these things usually last, dude," Wally sponged some hand soap on his fingers and rubbed gently. "I kinda want to go home and watch some T.V if you get what I mean."

Dick wiped off the water dripping off his hands and straightened his tie. "As long Bruce is here, that's as long as they last," he replied with a joking grin. A collection of cologne and mints waited for them at the other end of the bathroom. Wally rushed over and began rummaging through the bottles.

"What is this? Bois D'Argent? Never heard of it," Wally held one up for Dick to see and put back after he smelled it. After a few moments, he held another one up for his friend to see and took a big whiff of it. "I like this one. What's it called? . . . Vetiver . . . works for me." Wally sprayed the contents of the little bottle over himself and grinned.

When Dick walked over to him, he grinned. "That's some strong stuff, dude. Are you sure that works for you?" He then picked up a little gold bottle and held it up for Wally to see. "Should have gone with the Ambre Nuitt. It's lighter."

Wally pouted and took a sniff of the bottle and wrinkled his nose. "Too flowery."

"Whatever, I'm going with the one I always use," Dick smirked as he reached for a cream colored bottle. "Eau Noire, Alfred picked it out for me."

(East Gotham City, March 11, 2012. 1:19 a.m)

Ivo watched with a calm expression as the MONQI sent Siobhan crashing through the wall. "Excellent, but don't hurt the poor girl too much. I need her later," the man chuckled. The darn monkey was water proof, so Siobhan couldn't just freeze it and smash it. She had to get up close with a weapon or some sort to damage it.

So far, half its face was missing and there was a crater in its torso. Siobhan's arms were covered with burn marks and scratches, but that didn't stop her from picking up a crow bar and enlarging it to send the MONQI flying into a nearby table.

"Scrap metal is perfect for becoming a pincushion," Siobhan snarled as she launched a barrage of rods with sharp ends into the machine. It short-circuited and imploded as a spike found its way into its head. Siobhan winced how the monkey let out a painful shriek before it was reduced to scraps. Then she rounded on Ivo.

"Where did you put the stolen technology," she growled. In one hand, she brandished a wicked looking spear and the other was glowing with a pulsating energy. The room temperature dropped and soon Ivo could see his own breath coming out as puffs of vapor. He whimpered and shielded his head. "P-please don't hurt me," he said pathetically.

"Then answer me," Siobhan almost yelled. She sent the spear into one of the containment pods where its contents emptied, leaving a husk behind the cracked glass. But she immediately regretted it when Ivo retreated into a little ball, half trembling, half-cursing at her. "What happened to all that bravado now," she muttered.

(Gotham City, March 11, 2012. 1:10 a.m)

"That's a . . . powerful smell," Bruce remarked as he greeted the two boys. Wally grinned sheepishly as he tried to back away from the man. Dick dragged his friend away as the patrons he chatted up earlier approached Bruce. "Told you, you should have gone with the Ambre Nuitt."

"Not cool, Rob. You're not my beauty consultant," Wally put on a miffed expression and walked over to the buffet table.

(East Gotham City, March 11, 2012. 1:50 a.m)

It took almost half an hour to coax the location of the stolen technology from Ivo. Siobhan had to be careful how she threatened him otherwise he would retreat back into his little ball, but if she sounded like she let her guard down, he would release one of his contraptions to have at it with her while he attempted to escape which resulted in having her to freeze the exit.

Eventually, she discovered the location herself when she accidentally hurled an icicle through one of the containment pods. Computers, machines, and manuals lined the room behind the pod. After that, Siobhan sealed Ivo in a cube and led him upstairs to the apartment.

The man looked fidgety as she placed the cube on the filthy floor and left him alone. By the time she came back up with the tech, he was practically hyperventilating as cockroaches were crawling up the sides. She was only gone for forty five minutes and it looked like it reduced him to one of the occupants in Arkham after a particularly brutal therapy session.

Though amused and tired at the same time, Siobhan went back downstairs one last time and picked up a torch nearby. It hurt her to do it, but there couldn't be another abomination that was left to rot in the pods.

Apparently, the Justice League was alerted shortly after her stint at the storage facility and twenty minutes after she moved everything outside and reduced the building to debris and ashes, the Green Lanterns and Wonder Woman showed up to help with moving everything back to their rightful places, as well as put Ivo back in Belle Reve. They asked her about what happened and when they were satisfied with her answers, they loaded everything in a platform and waited for Wonder Woman.

"You did a good job tonight. Head home and get some well-deserved rest," the Amazon praised. The woman put a hand on her shoulder before retracting it once she realized Siobhan got burned there. "Sorry," she apologized.

The heroes took flight with their cargo. But before they disappeared, Siobhan could hear Wonder Woman shout, "May the Gods be with you."

Before Siobhan headed back to the Cave, she made one last stop. On the other end of East Gotham, there was another apartment building with a similar laboratory. The one she was created in. The charred ruins of the wood still surrounded the area and weeds sprouted between cracks here and there. Yet, Siobhan could see the door that led down to the laboratory intact.

That was the only thing she couldn't destroy thirteen years ago and she still couldn't do it.

(Gotham City, March 11, 2012. 2:30 a.m)

Despite the wonderful evening at the charity auction, it was slightly marred by the time it took to escape the paparazzi's clutches. Bruce sat inside the limo, looking as imposing as he was when he exited it earlier in the night. But there was a hint of satisfaction on his face as he looked at the city lights through the tinted windows.

Behind the limo was a car filled with paparazzi that was indiscreetly cutting in and out of traffic just to follow them. But twenty minutes later, Alfred lost the car and turned to the occupants in his vehicle. "Would anyone care for some music," he asked politely.

"No," Bruce said.

Dick shrugged, "Not really."

"Sorry," Wally replied sheepishly.

"Very well." Alfred raised the divider up and moments later they could hear muffled ragtime music through the plastic and metal. Suddenly, a black and white blur roared past them, causing Bruce to glare all of a sudden at the retreating vehicle. Seconds later, a squad of police cars parted the traffic and raced after the speck of white.

Bruce took out his business cell phone and punched in a number on the fragile looking keyboard.

(Mount Justice, March 11, 2012. 2:57 p.m)

"Do I still smell like Vetiver," Wally raised his arms and sniffed himself.

"Kinda," Robin replied. The moment Wally went through the Zeta-Tubes, he rushed to the shower and grabbed a bottle of Artemis's green apple body wash while he was at it.

"Awww man," he groaned. Wally walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets for something to eat. Meanwhile, Robin straightened his hoodie and plopped down on the sofa with a can of soda. "Didn't you eat enough at the party, dude. I saw you empty the shrimp cocktails pretty quickly." Robin stretched and shot a smirk in his friend's direction.

"I have a _serious_ metabolism, remember," Wally shot back.

"Shiv, B-09"

The two boys continued to argue until they saw someone standing at the entrance with a handful of milkshakes and a plastic bag. "Milkshake . . . . anyone," she offered weakly.

Wally rushed over and took the load of cups from her. "What happened to you," he gestured at the patches of scarlet all over her body. "I went on a mission," she replied as she took the mask off her face. "What is that smell?"

The speedster backed away from her in a flash and rushed to the other side of the room. "I don't know, maybe it's something you brought back from your mission," he said a little too quickly. "By the way, nice costume change."

Robin's eyes snapped to Siobhan and took in her appearance. It was not the cloak and jumpsuit he became familiar with, but something even he wouldn't expect from her. The girl's daily wear consisted of formal slacks and vests with a simple button down shirt or a regular t-shirt and slacks. Not like what she was wearing, which were her combat boots, a pair of the knee high black socks she wore for school and a pair of black mini shorts with a belt. She also wore a form-fitting black t-shirt with a low cut neckline that hinted at some more feminine . . . assets.

"Thank . . . you," Siobhan replied uncertainly. She went in the kitchen and quickly filled a glass with water. The cup almost dropped when her arm gave away. "Darn burns," she cursed.

Wally used this time to shot Robin a look of pure mischief and rushed out of the room before he could be missed. "Totally hot right," he mouthed gleefully. Robin didn't even get the chance to reply as all that was left of his friend was a white and blue blur.

In the kitchen, Siobhan was trying to rub burn salve on her arm with a paper towel. "Why is the healing so much more painful than the burning," she muttered. With nothing else to do, Robin went over to her and took the paper towel from her hands. "If you don't want it to hurt, then you shouldn't use something scratchy like this," he chided.

Siobhan, being too tired and in pain to care pushed the container of salve towards him. "There's a roll of bandages in the bag over there," she mumbled.

"You walked into a convenience store looking like this for bandages and milkshakes," Robin raised an eyebrow and looked at her skeptically.

"I forgot to eat dinner tonight," she deadpanned.

The silence that ensued afterwards continued on for a long period of time. Robin kept rubbing the burn salve over her arm and hands while Siobhan tried not to wince as the cloth touched a particularly painful spot. "Sorry," Robin eased up after Siobhan let out an audible gasp.

Once he was done with her arms, she took the burn salve from him and held out her hands for the cloth. "The rag, I'm going to finish this myself," she explained.

"And let you drop the burn salve? You know the Cave doesn't have any of that stuff right now, right," Robin reached over and took the container from her before dabbing the cloth in it. "Ok, now where'd you get burned?"

" . . . . . Fine."

Siobhan pulled back the curtain of hair and revealed angry red welts from her encounter with the giant MONQI. It was torture every time the cloth touched her neck. But she sat through it and tried to make her discomfort as unnoticeable as possible.

"Where else," Robin said nonchalantly after he was done.

"B-but I don-" The pointed look on his face told Siobhan he wasn't to let up until he thought he was done. " . . . . . . . Darn." She pulled aside the neckline to uncover several red marks on her shoulders. "Just . . . just hurry up, ok," she huffed.

Robin tried to at first, but he didn't need the science of microexpressions to tell him that it was obviously causing the burns to hurt more. They sat through a painful and awkward silence as he tried to be as through and gentle as possible. Meanwhile, he tried not to look at the rest of her while finishing his task. Robin may be a kick butt and smooth vigilante, but Dick Grayson was a hormonal fourteen year old teenage boy.

He tried to just focus on the red marks on her shoulder, but once in a while, his focus would drift to the defined collar bone and the hollow of her neck. "Robin, are you all right," Siobhan asked and prodded him gently to snap him out of it.

"Yeah, it's been a long night."

"Agreed, would you care for a chocolate milkshake?"

(Mount Justice, March 11, 2012. 3:33 a.m)

Wally watched from the doorway as Siobhan passed a cup over to his friend. Although he regretted leaving the kitchen without grabbing one of the milkshakes, he was happy to know that his best friend and teammate had some potential between them. Now all they needed was a gentle push. Scratch that, these things usually needed more than a gentle push.

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> Just to help with visual effects, if you've watched the Harry Potter Movies and you've seen how they apparate and disapparate . . . that's pretty much how Siobhan does the conversion of her body to gas. But she can't ghost through walls like Miss Martian. Before I get back to tooting my horn (literally, yay for Trumpet players out there) I'd appreciate some feedback (press le Review button), plus that would make le chapters roll in faster. Well . . . seeya~


	9. Chapter 9

**Shitz-Suji: **I wiped out the last chapter I made because I felt it was way too OOC. But I still for some weird reason want to keep show choir. Onto le rant. KALDUR'S NOT EVIL! I should have forseen this because how could sweet young Aqualad go bad? TT_TT And I found Superboy's confession to be adorable, poor him. But if it were me in his shoes, I would have dumped Megan on the spot. Nobody tries to mind rape me! But they were so adorable together. Anybody feel like La'gaan is cramping on M'gann's style? 'Nough ranting, Enjoy~

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><p>(Gotham Academy, March 23, 2012)<p>

Friday was absolutely chaotic. First, Dick had to put together a presentation of mitosis which his partner didn't help with. Then was the history test that he had forgotten to study for. Thank goodness that the teacher let them review for five minutes, it was enough time for him to jot down the information he needed to pass in his head. During lunch, Barbra dragged him down to the rally stand with the other class presidents and they had a spirit class competition.

He spotted Siobhan in the competing group of sophomore girls with a deadpan expression set on her face. Obviously, Barbra had dragged her down to the rally as well. They were forced to run through an obstacle course, down a carton of chocolate milk, put on a pair of clown pants, and stuff as many balloons as they could down them while running back to the starting line.

Once school was over, he headed to the Mathlete's club meeting where they reviewed a few things and debated over what to wear for Regionals. Honesty, what were their uniforms for then? Other schools had no trouble wearing their uniforms to competitions, why not them? And there was no way anybody could coerce him into donning a headband that read "Gotham Academy for the Gold!"

After the meeting, he ran into Barbra, who was panting and leaning against the wall to catch her breath. She waved at him when she realized he was there. "Hey Dick, have you seen Siobhan," she asked.

"No . . . why?"

Barbra paused to think about it for a second. "She's going to be late for a club meeting and I need to find her."

Dick pointed at the Performing Arts building. "She's usually in there. Did you check?"

"I did, but she's not in ther-"

"She's coming out right now." Sure enough, there was Siobhan walking down the steps with a duffle bag slung over her shoulders. Her slightly wet hair told Dick that she must have been in the locker rooms when Barbra checked.

"Siobhan, come on! We're going to be late," the red head cried. She rushed over and grabbed the poor girl's hand before carting her back inside the building. "Bye Dick! See ya next week," Barbra called before walking in.

" . . . Bye," Dick said to no one in particular as the doors shut closed. He made his way out through the iron-wrought gates and greeted Alfred, who responded in kind with the usual "How was your day, Master Dick?"

They chatted for a couple minutes and then it turned to a comfortable silence as they headed back to the manor. Once there, Dick bolted out of the car before Alfred could step out and open it for him. "Make sure you complete your schoolwork, Master Dick," the butler called after him.

But the boy was already through the door with plans for the evening. He changed into his civvies, the green hoodie, jacket, jeans, and sneakers and slapped a pair of sunglasses on his face before heading down to the Batcave. Once he was through the Zeta-Tube, he was greeted with usual scene.

Kaldur was training with Raquel and Conner while Megan, Artemis and Wally were in the kitchen. "Dude, want some brownies," his best friend called over to him.

"Maybe later." Right now all Dick Grayson wanted was to just chill in the Cave as Robin and play a few videogames without someone constantly reminding him that he had homework to finish. Unfortunately, Wally wouldn't let him use the T.V since he was in the middle of watching a blasted episode of his soap opera.

So he had no choice but to grab a can of soda and sit on the couch while Wally and Megan watched the heroine give a monologue on the television. In retrospect, the show wasn't bad at all; in fact if he wasn't so high-strung from school he would actually watch it.

"No! They're lying," Wally cried. On screen was a blonde woman searching through a luxurious office for something. In the closet was an identical woman with a panicked expression on her face. "Greer's got whatever Olivia wants," Robin said.

Wally pouted. "Not cool, dude! Don't ruin this for me."

"Sorry." Robin got up and walked to the kitchen for one of the brownies his friend mentioned earlier. "Dude, it's almost seven," Wally said.

"And?" This was part of the new ritual Wally and Robin set up since the speedster's rekindled love for soap operas. And Robin wasn't very happy at first to be a chauffeur, but if it was enough to stop Wally from rigging his room with pranks and tricks, then it'd have to do.

"Come on," Wally whined. When Artemis and Megan weren't looking at them, he winked at his younger friend. This was a new addition to their ritual since the Friday of February when Wally caught Robin and Siobhan coming back from their supposed "date". The speedster always thought he had a knack to sense when "love" was in the air when it was clear that he just enjoyed playing matchmaker.

"I'll go pick Shiv up," Megan chirped. Although Wally tried to make his plans as discreet as possible, which was literally impossible, she picked up on the ticks between him and Robin. "You just finish up the brownies and I'll go."

Without even waiting for an answer, her outfit changed and she flew off to the garage. Once she was gone, Wally gave Robin the evil eye. "The deal is revoked for next week."

Artemis smacked the red-head playfully on the arm. "I don't know what deal you guys made. But cut it out," she said lazily.

(Gotham City, March 23, 2012. 7:14 p.m)

It was about 7:15 and there still no sign of Robin, so Siobhan decided to walk home. She did it every other day, so today shouldn't be any different. She pushed her glasses back up as she walked through the streets of Gotham.

Suddenly, a bright red motorcycle pulled up against the curb in front of the drug store. The rider dismounted and pulled off _her_ helmet. She was tall and had red hair and a familiar smile.

"Megan, is that you," Siobhan called out. The rider perked up at the sound of her voice and looked around. She spotted Siobhan and ran up to her, then pulled her into a bear-hug.

She smelled like freshly baked chocolate pastries, Siobhan thought. Perhaps if they got back early enough, there still be some leftovers for her to enjoy if Wally didn't not eat his fill first. Megan handed her the extra helmet and got on.

The ride back was smooth; the Martian girl stuck to traffic and drove below the speed limit. They made it back to the Cave in record time though, thanks to Megan's GPS system and the many shortcuts they took. "Race you to the kitchen," Megan yelled. Siobhan was buffeted by a gust of wind when the older girl took flight.

Accepting the challenge, Siobhan took of the helmet and materialized a platform. She jumped on it and followed the sound of laughter echoing through the Cave. To her disappointment, there were no pastries anywhere, although there was an empty cookie sheet with crumbs. She checked the fridge too, there was no ice cream left as well.

"Hey Shiv, we're on episode 12 of season 4, hurry," Wally cried. On screen was a wedding where the bride and groom shared their first dance.

"Sorry, I have homework," Siobhan stated blandly. "And I already finished season 4."

The grin melted off of Wally's face as he turned to look at her. "What? When did this happen?"

"I don't sleep very much." Siobhan pushed up her glasses and headed off to her room, where a long and dull powerpoint presentation was going to finished. Being a student was difficult, not to mention troublesome. But it was a million times better than sitting in a cell all day, waiting for your next meal to come.

(Mount Justice, March 23, 2012. 8:21 p.m)

"Dude, I'm tired." Robin finished the last of his cola and got up from the couch. His back and bottom half ached from sitting down so long. Wally just responded with a nod of acknowledgement then turned back to the television.

There were some things he needed to take care of first, such as de-rigging anything that could have been placed in his room, calling Alfred and telling him that he was going to spend the night at the Cave, and barricading his room for the next week in case of Wally had some backup plans.

Thankfully, nothing exploded or hit him as soon as he opened the door. The only thing rigged in there was an old fashioned whoopee cushion that was filled with some questionable substances and set to burst when he sat down on his chair. Just in case the speedster decided to come back in and wreak havoc while he was gone, Robin changed the security key - again mind you - and rigged the key pad to shut down if anyone were to press anything on it.

He didn't want a repeat the red-head sneaking in while he was asleep. The boy nearly stole his favorite pair of sunglasses if he did not trip on the hoodie carelessly thrown onto the floor. When Robin was satisfied with his handiwork, he made his way to the bathroom for a much needed shower.

(Mount Justice, March 23, 2012. 9:34 p.m)

She was finally done.

Done with all the reports, worksheets, questions, and presentations that she was assigned. It had taken the better part of her night to figure out how the Computer in the Cave worked and allowed her to begin making a powerpoint. If it weren't for the pre-installed knowledge of mitosis she already had, she would still be figuring out how cells multiplied and divided.

Now she had to tackle the duties assigned to her by Barbra, who convinced her to join show choir earlier this week. She was still ready to quit at any moment, seeing Catherine was also in show choir and how she pushing her to the limit with all her flippant remarks and comments. Still, it was pretty enjoyable and the other people were friendly enough.

Suddenly, Siobhan's stomach growled. She hadn't eaten anything since morning, which was just an orange she managed to nick from the cafeteria before the bell rang for classes to start. Wolf pawed the door and growled, indicating that he was probably hungry as well. "Good time as any other," Siobhan muttered. It was time to put what Megan taught her to good use, even though she preferred a nice carton of caramel ice cream.

But she supposed eating something warm would be nice for once. There was a chunk of prime ribs in the fridge, so Siobhan ripped half of it apart it and gave it to Wolf. After she took out anything green and leafy from the fridge and tossed it in a bowl and added some ranch. It wasn't exactly warm and it tasted absolutely horrible, but it was considered good for the body so she forced it down.

(Mount Justice, March 23, 2012. 9:56 p.m)

Something burnt was coming from the kitchen when Robin came out of the showers. But it smelled different this time, like burnt plastic. There was a faint cheesy smell in the air as well. Trust Wally to burn his grill cheese again in the microwave.

Robin went back to his room first to put on a shirt and then to the kitchen where he found Siobhan pouring over the stove. A bowl of unfinished salad sat on the countertop while black smoke billowed up towards the ceiling. The fire alarm blinking red, but no sound was heard since it was covered with a thick layer of ice.

"Shivette," Robin peered into the kitchen tentatively, aware that the girl was in a bad mood.

"What," she snapped over her shoulder as she scrapped the runny black mush from the pan into the trash. A box of macaroni and cheese sat on the counter, flat and crushed.

"Need some help," he asked.

"No." But she offered the pan over to him and stood back as he finished scrapping the charred remains into the trash can.

"You might want to unfreeze that," Robin added. He pointed upwards at the blinking fire alarm which was released from its icy case a few seconds later. The shrill noise it made died down a few moments later. Robin put the pan back on the burner and grinned.

"What," Siobhan crossed her arms at Robin, showing she was not in the mood to be joking around with him.

"What do you wanna eat," he asked.

"You can cook," she asked skeptically. If she had been paying close attention during her lessons with Megan, it was that boys (like Wally specifically) usually faired worse than girls in cooking.

"Sure, I learned from a master," he replied with a wicked smirk.

"Batman can cook," she raised an eyebrow and uncrossed her arms.

Batman can cook . . . if he came back later than usual from a round of patrol and Alfred was asleep, then he would make himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with more peanut butter than jelly. But technically, that didn't count as cooking. Robin meant to say Alfred was the master he learned from, but it was best not to mention him to the girl, in case if she ever ran into him when she left school one day.

" . . . Yeah he can cook. How about it," he said.

"How about this," Siobhan rummaged through the cabinets and pulled out another box of macaroni and cheese.

"Aww, I wanted to show you my awesome cooking skills," Robin said jokingly. But Siobhan, who still couldn't tell the difference between a joke and a statement brushed past him and turned the stove on again. "Fine by me then, I'll just do it myself."

She opened the box and was about to pour the dried macaroni into the pan when Robin swooped in and took it from. "That's not how you make it," he frowned. He pointed at the instructions and set down the box.

"You need to boil some water first." He filled the pan with water from the tap and put it back on the burner and covered it with the lid. "Now we gotta wait twenty minutes."

"I thought macaroni and cheese was supposed to be instant," she said.

Robin shook his head and took the bowl of salad from the counter. It was going to spoil anyways since nobody was going to finish it, so he gave to Wolf, who was more than happy to eat it.

At ten minutes, Robin emptied the bag of dried noodles into the lukewarm water. "I thought you said twenty minutes," Siobhan said.

"You don't need to follow the rules all the time," he replied.

"Is that why you and Wally always seem to be running into trouble with Red Tornado?"

"Where did you hear that from?" As unlikely as that was, it was true . . . unfortunately. The speedster always found some way to rope him into his various schemes and seemingly brilliant plans.

"Artemis."

"I seem to recall Batman grilling you for running a red light two weeks ago," Robin countered with a grin. The incident where she drove past their limo with a squad of police behind her tail had not gotten her on the Bat's good side. If anything, he was ready to revoke her privilege to drive if Black Canary had not intervened in time. Suddenly Robin spun around, on red alert. "Did you hear something," he asked.

"No, and I was injured," she replied lamely.

"Still," he relaxed and grinned.

"And hungry."

"Not good enough."

"And tired."

"I bet if it was me on that mission, I could have got back to the Cave _without_ alerting homeland security," he goaded. Siobhan's expression darkened.

"Tch, as if."

"Is that a challenge," Robin asked.

"I don't know Robin. Is it a challenge?" She wasn't angry, but there was a glint in her eyes he didn't like.

"Maybe~" He enjoyed bantering with someone like this, it's been a long time since he did it last.

"Well, I seem to recall that you said you wanted a rematch after I punched your face," she said with an evil smirk.

Robin shrugged. "I said that?"

" . . . Maybe?"

Robin laughed. "You wanna go?"

"Go? As in a rematch?"

"Exactly."

Siobhan glanced at the pan on the stove and shrugged. "If I win, you don't get to eat," she blurted out.

"Fine by me, but I win, you owe me one."

"Agreed." She disappeared in a cloud of gray smoke, presumably to the main hall. When he got there, the floor computer was already activated and she was waiting for him with an unusually joyful expression on her face. "Ready," she asked.

"I was born ready," he replied.

Siobhan, obviously confused by his statement was ready to ask what it meant if Robin did not charge at her with a frontal assault. She dodged his attack easily and retaliated with few punches in quick succession. Robin jumped out of harm's way as she threw one last punch and kicked her square in the back. She fell over onto the floor with a dull thud and groaned. "Whoa, did little ol' me win already," he said teasingly.

There was still a good twenty minutes before the macaroni noodles were done, so Siobhan sat up and delivered a sweeping kick before Robin knew what hit him. He fell down on his bottom, wincing at the impact. "So not cool," he muttered.

"We're even," Siobhan said.

"Not for long, Shivette." Robin responded with his own sweeping kick to which Siobhan dodged by jumping up. Before she had a chance to recover, Robin flung himself upwards and kicked up. Siobhan barely had enough time to lean back as the kick narrowly missed her chin. She quickly blocked a punch following afterwards.

While he was pulling back his arm, Siobhan stomped down on his foot and punched him on the shoulder. He grinned as he recovered his balance and lunged for her. To her dismay, Siobhan found herself unable to keep up with the boy's speed. They weren't getting anywhere, she was dodging all his attacks by narrow misses and Robin was mindlessly swinging at her.

There! Before he could bring down his leg, Siobhan aimed an ill-conceived punch at his side. But Robin took hold of her arm and pushed her away. She stumbled forward and caught herself before she fell. When she turned around, she saw Robin with his back conveniently turned to her. Without another thought, she ran towards him with her fists balled until she caught the devilish grin on his face as he spun around.

Siobhan ducked as Robin swiped a punch at her, but he spun around for a second attempt. She hastily grabbed his forearm and pulled him forward. What she did not count on was his knee connecting with her thigh which resulted in her lost of balance. She braced herself for the impact, but it never came.

Someone did fall, however. Robin, ever the gentleman, switched places with her before she hit the floor which explained why she was straddling him in the middle of the Cave. He was sprawled on the floor with his forearm still in Siobhan's hand. If her archives of etiquette history still served her, this was what they called a compromising situation. She couldn't get off him because his other arm latched onto her forearm as they fell and it was still there, not to mention it hurt a bit.

Through the curtain of hair, she could still see he was recovering from the fall since he was the one who took the brunt of both their weights. Siobhan's face felt like it was on fire now. Suppose someone like Wally strolled by and happened to catch them in this pose, there would be no telling what they might do. But Robin's grip on her hadn't loosened yet even she tried to tug her arm away. His head lolled over to the side and his lips parted, but that was all the movements he made.

"Robin," she asked tentatively. When he didn't answer her, she let go of his arm and poked his face. "Robin," she asked again. He was panting a few moments ago, but now there was only the calm rise and fall of his chest.

The grip on her forearm weakened and fell onto the floor. If it weren't for the current situation, Siobhan would have remarked on how different he looked in sleep than when he was awake. He looked more like a boy his age and as much as Siobhan would later try to deny, she found this endearing.

Resigned to the fact that the boy was really unconscious, she decided to pick him up and carry him back to his own room. She got up, making sure that she did not crush anything in the process and started towards him. However, something warm latched around her ankle and pulled her down.

Someone started laughing seconds after she fell down on her face. Siobhan's eyes began to water as well because of the stinging pain shooting through her nose.

"Twice," Robin sat up and continued laughing.

Siobhan growled and picked herself up. "What would have happened if I fell on you," she exclaimed.

Robin shrugged his shoulders. "You didn't," he said calmly.

" . . ."

"By the way you need to lay off the ice cream." He watched as Siobhan's annoyed expression shifted to one of indignant embarrassment. Suddenly, the smell of smoke found its way to them as well as the ringing from the fire alarm.

(Mount Justice, March 23, 2012. 10:49 p.m)

Megan wasn't going to be very happy the next morning. The skillet they used to boil the water and macaroni noodles had corroded a bit from the time it spent on the burner and Robin was pretty sure the next time Megan decided to make Wally extra bacon for breakfast, it was going to burn a hole through the metal.

On the other hand, the macaroni and cheese turned out pretty good, albeit slightly more on the smoky side. Siobhan sat in the kitchen with her head facing her bowl of food while Robin leaned on the counter with a cup of ice tea in his hand. The smug smirk on his face had not disappeared from his face yet for he was still very happy about his win.

"So what is it now? 3-1," Robin asked."

Siobhan responded by uncharacteristically banging her head on the table. " . . . My pride is forever ruined because of you."

" . . . That's taking it a little bit too far, Shivette."

"Why did you decide to cook for me tonight," Siobhan grudgingly put a mouthful of the noodles in her mouth and chewed.

"I had nothing to do. Left all my homework at home," Robin took a sip from his cup and continued smirking.

" . . . Alright," she nodded disbelievingly.

(Mount Justice, March 23, 2012. 10:06 p.m)

In the shadows of the Cave were two deviant teenagers who strayed from their individual beds to spy on two of their teammates. In fairness, it was because Wally thought someone had set fire to the Cave, so he rushed over to the kitchen, which he thought was the source to put it out. Luckily, he stopped himself before the two particular people knew he was there.

He eavesdropped on their conversation, particularly on the part that concerned his antics and winced when he heard it was Artemis who was the one who related them to the girl. He would have stayed in the same spot for the whole night if it weren't for one Martian girl in her bathrobe and slippers.

"Wal-mff"

"Shh," The red-head covered her mouth and pulled her into his hiding spot. He turned his head back to the two people and after making sure that they – Robin in particular – did not hear or see them, let go of the Martian girl.

"What are you doing here," she whispered.

"I smelled smoke."

"That's funny, I smelled smoke too," Megan tightened her bathrobe and looked over to where Robin and Siobhan were. She frowned again when she realized what Wally was up to.

"This isn't right, we should get back to bed," she whispered a bit loudly. Wally reached out to cover her mouth again, but was stopped by her telekinetic powers.

"Ok, sorry," he said sheepishly. "But this is interesting." Right now, it was obvious that Robin was goading Siobhan into a fight, he sometimes had a tendency to do that. Then Siobhan fazed into vapor and floated off towards the hall.

"Can you take us to the hall without them noticing us," Wally asked once Robin was out of sight.

"Wally!"

"Come on, this is interesting!"

Megan crossed her arms for a brief second and relented. "Hold on," she ordered. Wally gripped her arm tightly as she picked him up and flew off towards the hall in camouflage mode. They placed themselves strategically behind a few support beams where they would have the best vantage point and not be discovered at the same time.

Wally held back a giggle as his best friend fell down on his butt. "Shh," Megan hissed. She was finally getting why Wally found this interesting. Then things took a sudden turn down south when Robin kneed Siobhan. But to their surprise he flipped over at the last second, switching places with Siobhan so she would not fall.

"Awww," Megan gushed quietly. She never knew Robin was so . . . chivalrous.

Meanwhile Wally punched his fist in the air and hissed out, "That's my man!" Megan had to restrain him before he made anymore unnecessary comments. She was (secretly) enjoying this little scene between her little friend and fellow teammate. Both were slightly alarmed when thought Robin had been rendered unconscious, but slightly peeved when it turned out to be a ruse.

"He ruined the moment! Why would he ruin the moment," Wally lamented. Before he could start on his own monologue, Megan grabbed him and hightailed it out of the hall before they were both caught even though she wanted to stay and keep watching.

(Mount Justice, March 23, 2012. 11:27 p.m)

After he finished his cup of tea, Robin made his way back to his room since Siobhan stubbornly refused his help with cleaning up. On his way back, he encountered Megan, who was just coming out from the restrooms. She shot him a gentle smile before heading off into the direction to her own room.

It took a good five minutes to reactivate the keypad to open his door and another five to reset the deactivation in case if Wally did have plans for the night. He made mental note to replace the skillet before Megan found out that it was malfunctioning.

Sleep did not come to him so easily, but since did it ever? He spent his last moments in reality musing over the day, from school to Wally's not-so-clever puns, to Megan's brownies. And he was relieved that Siobhan gained some weight since their first encounter outside Arkham, her face was little less gaunt and she seemed healthier. He couldn't resist grinning as he replayed the image of her face when he had grabbed her ankle. Other than that, he spent the remainder of his time wondering when he was going to finish his math homework.

(Mount Justice, March 24, 2012. 3:56 a.m)

It was at an ungodly hour when Siobhan woke up, at the tender hour of four in the morning. She clutched her head and moaned. "This is useless." Blacking out every thought in her head before she went to bed was futile in preventing the stupid night terrors as well as the counting sheep, reminiscing pleasant memories, and drinking milk. Humans and their useless beliefs about sleep, she needed to find another way before the nightmares drove her to the brink of insanity.

(Mount Justice, March 24, 2012. 11:40 a.m)

She slept in the next morning, missing a surprise training session with the Team and Black Canary, who had to move said training session up because she had personal business later on in the day. By the time she woke up, it was an hour after lunch.

Sure enough, there was a pan in the trash can with a medium sized hole on the bottom. If she had been paying attention last night, that wouldn't had happened. Wally and Artemis returned to their respective cities shortly after – to quote "to finish the stack of unpaid child labor in my backpack, but I'll be done in a flash" end quote – and Robin was gone right after training with Black Canary.

But when she returned to her room shortly afterwards, there was a note taped onto the door. She ripped it off and read it.

_You owe me one - R_

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji: <strong>Done! Only chapter nine and it's been about what? Like three and a half months since Robin and Siobhan met. XD There was something I wanted to do with Wally and Aretmis, like having them start karaoke night thing, but that just seemed way too OOC . . . in Artemis's case. TT_TT My finals are next week and I haven't even touched my Spanish notes yet D: Reviews~


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Shitz-Suji owns no part of Young Justice :D**

**Shitz-Suji:** Umm, yeah. Been lagging it for these last couple of weeks. But I got a reason: SUMMER SCHOOL and it's math all day long. So bear with me here and Enjoy~

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><p>(Mount Justice, March 29, 2012. 7:14 p.m)<p>

"Hello? Is anybody here?"

It was odd that Siobhan couldn't seem to find anyone around the Cave at the moment. Even Red Tornado seemed to have disappeared, which was probably unlikely unless he had to cover for a certain archer who had monitor duty and a "happening" with a certain bombshell blonde heroine.

Nothing changed much for Siobhan, she just dropped her backpack on the floor and headed over to the kitchen for a carton of caramel ice cream. But it was unnerving to walk through the Cave without seeing any of the Team. And Batman had implied once that the Cave's location had been jeopardized before. But there were no signs of an assault, so Siobhan just assumed they went out for the night.

Without her.

That meant she had free reign to relax without listening to Artemis reason with Wally or forced to engage in conversation with someone. Just peace and quiet. In the kitchen, she spotted a large bag of marshmallows along with a box of crackers. And on the kitchen counter was a mug of hot chocolate tastefully decorated with an absurd amount of whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

"Thank you, Megan," she whispered as she picked up the cup and inhaled the rich chocolate scent. The Martian girl always knew that food always managed to cheer people up. It was still hot, which Megan had prepared it a short while ago and headed out shortly after.

Siobhan went back to the main hall to retrieve her backpack and headed back to the lounge, where she unpacked all her homework. When she went returned into the kitchen to get her daily dose of ice cream, she found the freezer jammed pack with nothing but hot dog wieners. The fridge was empty, save for a few cans of whipped cream and a can of canned pineapples.

"Curse you, Wally," she muttered under her breathe as she closed the door. There was nothing she could do, but to sigh wistfully for a carton of Dreyer's Caramel Swirl as she completed her French history project.

(Mount Justice, March 29, 2012. 8:13 p.m)

There was a loud clamoring in the kitchen behind Siobhan, which violently startled her as she was writing. As a result, there was now a scratch mark in ink drawn across her math homework.

"What happened to my HOT COCOA?"

"Calm down, Kid mouth. We can make you some more."

Siobhan peered over the sofa and found Wally searching the kitchen frantically. Beside him, Artemis guarded the bag of marshmallows and crackers carefully, like she was expecting the speedster to turn on them the moment he couldn't find what he was looking for.

"There's no cocoa mix," he cried. Finally, he caught Siobhan from the corner of his eye. "Where were you, the whole Team's been waitin' outside for two hours," he whined.

He and Artemis walked over and found the almost completed stack of homework piled neatly on the coffee table. But that wasn't the first thing they, particularly Wally noticed. "Is that my cup," he asked.

" . . . Depends."

Artemis shot a bemused yet sympathetic glance at Siobhan. "You know . . . he drank from that cup," she informed jokingly.

"You and Robin drank from it too," Wally accusingly shot back.

Siobhan blanched and suddenly felt an urge to run to the bathroom and down a bottle of mouthwash despite her knowing that her body could counteract whatever bacteria or viruses were on that mug. There were many obsessive compulsive ticks she had developed in Arkham and hygiene was one of them, along with stranger danger and a number of other things.

"I think you poisoned her, Kid Malinger."

"Nuh-aw, she's just out of it, like always. Watch." It was embarrassing to watch Wally make faces, dance around and clap to "snap" her out of it, but amusing in its own right. When Siobhan had enough, she jabbed Wally on his side and watched as Artemis began laughing as he danced around, clutching his stomach.

After, they dragged her out through the backdoor of the Cave, where a roaring campfire was built about a good six yards away from them. The smell of burnt meat permeated the air as Wally pointed at Robin and said, "Dude, your wiener's on fire."

The Boy Wonder looked around him and back at his friend. "All our wieners are on fire," he pointed at everyone holding their own stick with a hot dog stuck through it and gestured at his own. Surprisingly, Raquel burst out laughing first, followed by Wally, Artemis, and Robin. The others looked around, like they hadn't understood the joke.

"Robin, your hot dog is really burnt," Kaldur said. The others took a closer look at Robin's blackened wiener and chortled. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Robin grumbled. He plucked off the burnt meat and fed the rest to Wolf before placing another hot dog on his stick.

Artemis passed around the bag of marshmallows and graham crackers before taking out a slab of chocolate from the cooler. "Who wants some s'mores?"

(Mount Justice, March 29, 2012. 8:53 p.m)

After listening to Wally lecture everyone on how to toast their s'mores just right, he decided to have a little fun. To his right was Artemis. He whispered something into her ear and asked her to pass it down to Conner, who passed it down to Siobhan. While Wally was still teaching Megan how to turn the s'more so it wouldn't burn, the fire suddenly belched and Wally's s'more was encased within a ball of ice. The stick was too weak to support it, so it snapped and the ball dropped into the fire.

"Shiv," Wally groaned. Robin did not expect Siobhan to give up her s'more to Wally, but thankfully his best friend stopped lecturing everyone.

"So who wants to tell ghost stories?" Everyone turned to Megan, who was sporting an unnaturally scary smile because of the campfire's shadow. And again, Raquel was the first one to volunteer. While the Team sat around the fire and roasted their s'mores, Raquel dished out a gruesome story about a serial stalker back in Dakota City and how his victims died at his hands.

"And the scariest part was that no one ever caught him. Ever." Then Raquel laughed at her teammates faces, particularly Megan's and continued eating her s'mores.

"I got a better one," Robin said. With a smirk, he brandished his burnt s'mores on his stick and waved it around. "It's how the Joker became . . . the Joker." Wally scoffed, but listened.

Robin began. "Batman told me that he once said, "All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day. You had a bad day and everything changed. He just didn't know how right he was."

Before Robin could continue, Wally chomped down his s'mores . . . and ruined the rest of the story for everyone else. "He was a normal dude, had a wife and job. Then went broke and went on a robbing spree. Some point later, he tripped and fell into a vat of chemicals that made him go crazy. Seriously, I heard that story like a million times" Everyone groaned.

"We never heard the story, Kid Mouth," Artemis snapped. She shoved her s'more, fresh from the fire into Wally's mouth. He didn't mind the temperature and chewed. "Okay, so anyone else," she asked.

Meanwhile, Robin was still miffed at Wally ruining his story and was about to have Siobhan freeze his s'mores again when suddenly the fire turned blue and roared almost six feet high up in the air. " . . . Oops," Siobhan said. The ice must have melted and the fire reacted with the sugar in the s'more that was dropped into the fire. The Team pulled their sticks out only to find that one side of their hot dog or s'more was burnt black as a result.

"I think we're out of s'mores," Raquel informed. Sure enough, the bag of marshmallows beside her was empty and the chocolate was all gone. Strangely enough, Wally did not freak out. But then everyone realized he had a hot dog roasting in the fire.

(Mount Justice, March 29, 2012. 9:29 p.m)

"I got a story," Siobhan volunteered. "Harley Quinn told it to me." She remembered the details well and how much she starved as result of believing it. "It's about Arkham's food."

" . . ."

Wally burst out laughing, holding onto his stick while trying to wipe something from the corner of his eye. "What? Is this about them running out of mystery meat or something?"

She continued, despite Wally laughing his stomach out. "Harley Quinn told me that once when Batman cut the food supply because Joker tainted everything with Joker Venom, the cooks in Arkham had no choice but to kidnap the inmates that were beyond saving and grind them into meat. There's a big grinder in the backroom where they broke every bone in your body to make it easier for the grinder to grind you into meat. And they'd put an onion in your mouth so no one would hear you scream as they pushed you into the grinder or . . . was it because to make you taste better?"

Megan blanched at the situation painted out before her. Kaldur, however, was stoic as usual and gestured for her to continue. "And it was cheap, so even after the food supplies were back, Arkham continued to grind up its inmates for food. But there was this man, his name was Dave and instead of being pushed into the grinder, he pushed the cooks in and made them into hamburgers. And there's a cook right now in Arkham named Dave and they say he's . . . extra creative with his . . . recpies involving meat."

Artemis stared at her hot dog and lowered it. Siobhan inwardly chuckled, she had a reaction similar to that when Harley Quinn told her that story, mostly it was because they were eating dinner and it was sloppy joes for that night, but she couldn't look at another hamburger patty for half a year and even then she never touched the cafeteria meat again. Beside her, Conner and Megan reluctantly tossed their hot dogs to Wolf. The only ones who were still eating were Wally and Robin. They for some reason were not fazed in the slightest by their hot dogs or how everyone else seemed to be staring at them.

At about eleven, they packed up the lawn chairs and extinguished the fire. On the way back, Siobhan noted how Robin and Wally seemed to be waving the remaining packs of hot dog wieners in her direction. She scowled and helped Raquel move the cooler back into the Cave.

(Gotham City, March 30, 2012. 7:25 a.m)

The next morning, Dick got out of the car and immediately headed over to the Math building for a "mandatory Mathlete meeting" as one of the club members put it. He was so late because Bruce insisted that he eat more than just toast for breakfast, saying that he'd need his energy today. But he had consumed enough hot dog wieners to last him a whole Fourth of July holiday with Wally, the only one eating more than he did.

Even so, he was forced to sit down and enjoy a mushroom omelet specially prepared by Alfred. Now that he was at school, he made a beeline for the Math building. Except, he ran into a very . . . interesting scene near the ASB room. Not wanting to get caught, he hid himself among the tall rose hedges the gardener cherished so and listened.

"Siobhan, I'm so glad I ran into you." That voice, Dick would recognize it anywhere since he heard it every day, especially in economics. Andrew Barnett, that conniving jerk who had a reputation as the biggest heartbreaker – *ahm* jerk – in the sophomore class. His dislike of the boy wasn't totally unjustified, Andrew liked to flaunt his family's money and status everywhere. In short, he was just another spoiled rich kid with potential to become Gotham's next billionaire playboy. Plus, he was a terrible gossip and had once actually asked Dick who was the girl that was caught on camera at the Charity Ball with him and to see if he could introduce him to her.

So here he was now, with his sand-colored hair and amber eyes trying to ask a teammate out for a date. If Artemis was here, she'd clock him in the face since she harbors some dislike towards him too, mainly because he hurt a friend of her's.

"Yes . . . you're Andrew, correct?"

"Yeah, I read your paper on Shakespeare's Hamlet last week and I gotta say, it was really good."

"What were you doing with my paper?"

Oh yeah, trust Siobhan to pick up on the small details than to see the bigger picture. Even though she was a whole head shorter than him, she was obviously making him feel uncomfortable and awkward. Dick smirked and checked his phone for the time. He had about five minutes before he was really late.

"I was helping Miss grade them," Andrew explained. "Anyways, I was going to ask if you want to go to with me to the Sinclair Gala tonight. Like, maybe as a . . . date."

"As in a romantic outing . . . date?"

" . . . Yeah."

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> This is short, but I'll be writing longer chapters later on :D So review for faster updates~ and M'gann shall give you her cookies~


	11. Chapter 11

**Shitz-Suji: **This was the result of soo much math homework. I think my brain just whipped this up because it was suffering from all the formulas and stuff I had to memorized. So if you see some errors, don't hesitate to point them out, I'll take contructive criticism over a lecture about nth roots any day. Enjoy~

* * *

><p>(Gotham Academy, March 30, 2012. 12:26 p.m)<p>

By lunch, it seemed like half the sophomore class already heard of Andrew's proposal to the painfully awkward and nerdy girl in his English class. But that wasn't surprising. What was though was the fact that the painfully awkward and nerdy girl in Andrew's English class accepted.

"Wow, I thought she would have shot him down like that," Barbra snapped her fingers to illustrate her point. Beside her, Dick nodded gravely. They both looked over at the jock's table, where Andrew Barnett was chatting animatedly with his friends. The next table over was Catherine and her friends, gossiping in hushed whispers while glaring at anyone who happened to walk close by.

"Such a shame, if I was invited, I would have taken Siobhan and we would have had a blast," Barbra mused. A mischievous smile graced her lips for moment before she took a bite of her macaroni and cheese. Dick chuckled and took a sip from his water. "But you hate formal parties, remember? The last time you went to one, you spent half the night complaining about your shoes."

"I had that right. You would be complaining too if you were wearing six inch knives on your feet," Barbra playfully jabbed in him the arm before turning back to her lunch.

"Well, you're not the one who's going to the Sinclair Gala. I would invite you, but your uncle . . ." Dick trailed off, hoping Barbra understood what he implied. His red-head friend laughed and looked over her shoulder. "Uncle James is just overprotective, plus he's a cop so you understand."

"I understand too much, Babs."

"Hahaha, boys. The one thing I'll never understand."

Economics was just as always, save for the exception for a heated debate between two students on politics. Dick was just not appreciating Andrew and his friends hounding on him because he didn't have a date for the evening. "So Grayson, heard you were going alone tonight . . . again," one of his friends taunted.

Dick sighed. He wanted to leave this class as soon as possible. But unfortunately, he had a whole wall of testosterone surrounding his desk and most of them, he noted were wrestlers and football players. "Unlike the rest of you, I don't have time to go and look for a date, so could you guys leave me alone," he asked curtly.

"Whoa, we just wanted to have a bro-talk, Grayson," Andrew chortled. But realizing that Dick was no longer going to be a fun target, Andrew and his friends slinked over to the next sucker and began their cycle all over again.

(Gotham Academy)

"Alrighty, class! Pleaze pass in ze last night's homevork and take out zur thinking caps!" The French teacher beamed at his rather unenthusiastic students and held out a stack of graded tests.

"Siobhan, etes-vous sérieusement avec Andrew," Dick whispered. (_Siobhan_, _are you seriously going out with Andrew?) _

A rather annoyed expression immediately replaced the usual deadpanned one Siobhan usually wore and she put down her French book and looked him in the eye. "Pas de cette façon. Je n'avais pas le choix, Dick," she quickly replied. (_Not in_ _that way. I had no choice, Dick)_

"Pourquoi pas?" (_Why not?)_

They quieted down as their teacher passed by and handed them back their tests. "Very nice, ze both of you. Keep up ze good vork," he smiled. Once he was out of ear range, Siobhan sighed. "Je lui ai dit que j'aimerais lui répondre après la première période. Je l'ai fait, mais je ne pouvais pas refuser, car il y avait beaucoup de gens autour de nous," she whispered. (_I told him I'd answer him after first period. I did, but I couldn't refuse because there were so many people surrounding us)_

Not surprisingly, Dick was very familiar with that tactic of Andrew's. It was also a favorite for Catherine and any other vicious, popular students in Gotham Academy. Surround the target with people and there was almost little to no chance of them causing a scene should something go wrong.

"Vous avez simplement dit non, vous le savez," Dick whispered back with a small smile. (_You could've just said no, you know right?)_

"Non, Catherine était en train de regarder ainsi." (_No, Catherine was watching as well.) _Siobhan sighed and picked up her book. "Les riches sont une telle douleur." (_Wealthy people are such a pain)_ Then she looked at Dick and smiled sheepishly. "No offense to you, Dick"

"None taken, Siobhan."

"Quiet down zere, you two!"

(Gotham Academy, March 30, 2012. 6:12 p.m)

After school, Siobhan rushed over to the Performance Art building for some much needed practice or rather, relaxation. Her entire Friday night was thrown off balance already, with her attending the Sinclair Gala and all. So she left a voice message on Megan's phone to ask that whoever was going to pick her up tonight to not come because she had some . . . business to attend to.

After three straight hours of popping and locking to the same song over and over again, Siobhan hit the showers. There was still the issue of her appearance she needed to address. Andrew specified that he'd pick her up at 7:30. She insisted that if she were to go with him tonight, that he'd pick her up in front of the Academy, given that her home was technically in Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. He agreed halfheartedly and told her to look nice. And before she could ask him to specify what exactly "nice" meant, he winked and said he'd be sending something over to the Performing Arts building to help her out.

Which was why she was standing alone in the locker rooms, dressed in her P.E clothes and staring at a black garment bag hanging from the crack of her locker. There was a gnawing feeling that was growing inside of Siobhan that told her whatever that was in the garment bag would be very expensive.

Siobhan unzipped it slowly and gasped. Inside was –in her eyes- the most gorgeous dress she'd ever lay eyes on. To think, how much money could have gone into creating this dress when it should have went to charity. But that wasn't all, there was a box lying at the bottom of the bag containing shoes, shoes with heels so sharp and thin that it looked like Megan would be able to carve meat with them.

With less than an hour to spare, Siobhan put on the dress and tried her best to pull her (less-than-manageable) hair into a neat bun, something Barbra taught her how to do. She gave up on taming the two locks of hair that framed the both sides of her face since they were too short. Then she wasted no time in searching for the collection of cosmetics the prep team had in their supply closet. Once she produced a suitable color of red lipstick, she spent about ten minutes applying it onto her mouth.

It seemed silly that human girls eagerly wasted so much time for something as trivial as their appearances when they could just let their natural features shine. But instead, they cover it up with layers of chemicals and wax. " . . . Eyeshadow," Siobhan read off a small lidded box. Now why on earth would someone add more shadows to their eyes?

Even so there was a soft gold colored eyeshadow that Siobhan decided to try out. She followed the diagram on the box that showed how to apply it properly and once she was done, Siobhan slipped the pair of shoes that spelled "death" all over them.

Then she tottered over to the vanity mirror in the corner of the dressing room to observe her handiwork. It wasn't that terrible. The dress was a luxurious red which matched the shade of her lips. But the garment showed a little more than she'd like, with its low square neckline drawing in attention towards her neck. She was fine with the rest of the dress, the cap sleeves and ankle length chiffon skirt. The biggest problem she had was with her shoes. As beautiful as they were, the gold metallic trimmed stilettos didn't hide the fact that she couldn't walk in them.

And now that she did a double take, the dress hugged her figure in such a way that it made her look . . . thin. She was trying to put on weight, not follow Catherine's example of starving herself. Plus, she looked . . . paler than usual in contrast with the dress.

Siobhan looked at the clock and realized she'd have to start heading out if she didn't want to be late. She could come back tomorrow and retrieve her backpack and phone, the school would be open so that wouldn't be a problem. As she rushed around to put away the borrowed cosmetics, it got easier and easier to walk in the caged stilettos.

"Dear me, I'm going to be late," Siobhan raced across the school campus, clutching her skirt in one hand and steadying herself with the other. Standing in front of the gate was Andrew, looking resplendent in a tuxedo. "You looked hot," was the first thing he said when she walked over to him.

Siobhan resisted the urge to cross her arms in front her chest when he ran his eyes over her. Still, it was becoming increasingly difficult to not fidget under his stare. "My parents are in the limo, we should go," he said. Three minutes in and this "date" was not off to a good start, Siobhan thought.

(Wayne Manor, March 30, 2012. 7:45 p.m)

"Master Dick, your tie is loose," Alfred noted. Dick looked down and indeed his tie was loose. "Thanks, Alfred," Dick hurriedly tightened it and waited for Bruce to come down. It was his idea that Dick accompanied him tonight, that or he'd spend Friday night at the Cave for a spontaneous stealth and evasion training session with Captain Atom. Dick snickered, while he was going to attend a party with free food and drinks, his best friend would be listening to Captain Atom explain how to avoid making noise. Poor Wally. But he felt sorry for the rest of the Team as well.

"We're gonna be late," Bruce inquired as he bounded down the stairs. Intimidating as ever, Bruce glared at his own reflection in the decorative hall mirrors to ensure he was looking at his best.

"Master Bruce, Master Dick, I believe you'll be late if we don't get a move on soon," Alfred announced. So they piled into a sleek black car and waited for Alfred to start the ignition and pull out of driveway. Within thirty minutes, the butler cut through the traffic and pulled up to the Sinclair building.

From there, Bruce and Dick made their way through the paparazzi and into the ballroom, where three waiters swarmed over to them immediately to offer drinks and snacks. Bruce took a flute of champagne and walked over to one of his acquaintances, leaving Dick to his own devices again.

The only reason Bruce showed up was because his friend and business partner, who was the owner of the building invited him. But seriously, the last gala Dick went to was exactly twenty days ago and without Wally here with him, he was officially bored.

He grabbed a glass of lemonade and wandered around. There was still a fair share of girls headhunting him, but there was a large crowd standing on the edge of the dance floor. Dick spotted Catherine Charles among them, all glaring at someone like he or she was the most hated person in the world.

One the dance floor, he saw Andrew's head of sand colored hair. He didn't look so different from normal. Then he was reminded of the fact Siobhan was here tonight, which meant the girl in the red dress was probably her. And from the looks of it, her shoes weren't killing her yet.

When the song ended, the dancers bowed to each other and cleared out, save for those who wanted to stay for the next song. Dick was musing over his thoughts when Andrew and Siobhan walked over, Andrew's hand dragging Siobhan's wrist with him. "Hey Grayson, I see you're alone . . . again," he greeted jauntily.

"Yeah, Andrew . . ."

A moment of awkward silence passed between the three of them until Siobhan cleared her throat. "Could you let go, Andrew. You hurting me a little," she whispered. In a flash, his hold on her was gone and he grinned cheekily.

"Sorry babe, you know I'm too strong for my own good," he laughed. Beside him Siobhan pursed her lips and grimaced. Dick couldn't help but pity her. Andrew, on the other hand, couldn't help but notice Dick's prolonged stare directed at his date and stepped in front of her defensively.

"Oh Grayson! I've been to ask where's Bruce Wayne tonight? My father's been meaning to have a talk with him for a while."

Dick scanned the crowd and spotted him over in a corner surrounded by friends and acquaintances. "He's around. You've just gotta look for him and it's _Mr._ Wayne to you, _Barnett._"

The other boy scoffed. "So? You can him Bruce all the time and he's not your _dad_. Why should I be any different?" The atmosphere between them two bristled with hostility. Dick was second away from letting loose like Conner would and swing his fists at Andrew. He'd never been more insulted in his whole life before except that one incident concerning Bruce and his strict rules, but that was different.

"I am . . . going to get myself a drink," a quiet voice announced. Siobhan just was about slink away when Andrew grabbed her forearm and smiled. "I'll go get _us_ some drinks. Just stay here and wait, babe," he purred.

When he was gone, Siobhan let out a small sigh of relief. "He is insufferable," she huffed. "I spent almost half an hour listening to him talk about his football stats and whatnot." Dick held out his lemonade in a mock toast and laughed. "Yeah, he's like that. So how are you holding up, Shive-Siobhan?"

Shoot, he almost made a mistake. Only Robin called her "Shivette" and she knew it. Batman would kill him if a teammate who's only known him for three months managed to figure out that Dick Grayson and Robin was the same person.

". . . Are you alright, Richard?"

"Oh yeah, just a tired," he replied calmly. Siobhan nodded. 'Aren't we all? The moment I leave this place, I will go home and take a shower."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because that prick over there thinks that once I'm not looking, he can peek wherever he wants," Siobhan sniffed disdainfully. "I feel . . . disgusting and I have half a mind to backhand him here right now." Dick chuckled. This was one of the reasons why Andrew was such a *ahm* jerk despite him being sought after by three-quarters of the female sophomore class.

Andrew magically reappeared with two glasses of lemonade in his hand. Instead of handing one over to Siobhan, he slung his arm around her and nuzzled his face against hers. "Mmm, baby what are you wearing? Smells nice."

"_Unhand me, you baboon,"_ Siobhan mouthed. She looked almost . . . angry. But her expression softened afterwards and she resumed her deadpanned expression. " . . . Shampoo and conditioner," she said.

Dick shot a sympathetic glance her way before Andrew dragged her away. If his night was terrible, it was suddenly better in comparison. At least he was not spending his Friday night being groped by someone.

Within minutes of leaving, Dick found the two of them on the dance floor again, dancing to a slow song. There was good twelve inches between the two of them, despite Andrew's constant shuffling around to close the distance. But he was getting there. Dick had move around again, some of the debs and their daughters were getting restless or just tired of pining after Andrew.

He talked to some businessmen for a good hour about mundane topics, office life and such. They were quite interested in him and his school life and in return he shared witty jokes about how he saw office life. Once Dick sent them off to talk to Bruce, he ran into Catherine. She looked beside herself, with her platinum blonde hair flying and perfectly blemish-free face twisted in a snarl.

"God, Grayson! Watch where you're going," she snapped.

"Sorry," he apologized and helped her up. She took his hand and pulled herself up before patting down her . . . dress. It was so short it could be counted as long shirt. Once she stormed away, Dick straightened his suit and grabbed a glass of punch from a passing waiter.

(Sinclair Building, March 30, 2012. 9:41 p.m)

Whoever invented slow dancing should be murdered, buried, dug back up, revived, and murdered again. Honestly, Siobhan never had this many problems when she danced with Robin. But it seemed like Andrew couldn't keep his hands on her upper back or small of her back for that matter. Every five minutes, she had to keep his hand from dropping too low.

And why did he keep insisting they were to keep dancing? Her body may be durable, but her feet were starting feel like they could fall apart at any moment now. She was going to have to start to lean on him if this dragged on, she didn't know if she could handle another waltz. Siobhan shuddered at thought of being in close proximity with this . . . this narcissist.

The song ended and they bowed to each other. When another one started playing, Andrew took her hand and prepared to lead her away. "Hey . . . Andrew, do you want to go," Siobhan asked. There was just no way she could continue this again.

"Go where, babe?"

Goosebumps threatened to break out across Siobhan's body and it was not from the suggestive tone of Andrew's voice.

"Like outside, it's a little warm in here, don't you think?"

It took just a moment for him to calculate what he thought she had meant and another moment for him to lead her through the open courtyard doors. Unfortunately, the people that were outside must have had relocated over to the billiards room, so they were left alone.

Andrew wasted no time in snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. "You know . . . your eyes are really pretty," he purred. Siobhan kept her face as neutral as possible. She didn't want to betray any feelings of contempt she held for this person right here. "Thank you," she replied stiffly.

The distant use of words instead of giggling and looking away should have provided a sign clear enough for the most mentally challenged person in the world. And _no one_ was supposed to be touching her. _No one_, but this boy right here already broke that rule into teeny tiny pieces and what made her feel sick was that she didn't know how to respond without beating his head into a pulp.

Her stomach lurched when she felt Andrew twirl a lock of her hair around his fingers. Goodness, was this how he wooed females? Did he really think that being called "hot" and "babe" made a girl like him? And did he actually believe wink and smile would make a girl melt? He wasn't deformed, but he wasn't handsome . . . at least to her, but she could see why other girls were after him. Maybe she should have done what Dick would have and said no. The lies that Catherine and her friends would spew on Monday would be a millions times better than having someone's dirty paws touching her.

Suddenly, Siobhan felt herself pushed against a hard surface, a wall. She barely had anytime to react as Andrew trapped her against a wall. There was a glint in his eyes she didn't like as well as how his big grin disappeared and was replaced by a dark smile.

"I've liked you for a long time, Siobhan," Andrew's voice seemed too close to her liking and there was a faint musk smell. The sooner she figured out how to dispatch this uncouth, bumbling . . . egghead, the better.

There was a tickling sensation against her collarbone and it didn't take long for Siobhan to deduce that it was his hand. She balled her hands into fists and tried to quell the growing urge to sucker punch this prick in his face.

From her collar bone, his fingers trailed up her neck and along her jaw line. He leaned closer and closed his eyes . . .

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Siobhan slapped his hand away from her and pushed him back. It was one thing to seduce . . . or try to seduce and another to be this vulgar on a date. Siobhan hadn't even known him for a long time.

"What's wrong, babe?" Obviously, he was still deluding himself that she was actually attracted to him. This person was even more insufferable than Catherine and twice as stupid. She just wished that he was a villain so she could encase him in a nice block of ice and not worry about how he'd turn out when someone thawed him.

"Don't . . . don't you think that this is a little inappropriate for a date, excuse me,_ first date_?" Why did her personality have to turn out like this? Why couldn't she have a no-nonsense attitude like Artemis or Barbra? There would be nothing more she'd like to do than to point out every single detail that went wrong tonight to Andrew.

"No?" There was a dumbstruck expression on his face, like he couldn't believe how a girl was refusing his advances.

Siobhan cleared her throat awkwardly. "It's just that I'm not . . . comfortable about going in this direction," she said flatly.

"Oh."

Finally, he understood me, Siobhan thought. She been giving out signs since the limo ride with his parents where he was sitting so close to her that it seemed that at any given moment he could've jumped onto her lap.

"Yes, but we're still friends right?" It was the only thing she could come up with right now. He had given her an expensive dress and shoes, so it was not very polite to yell at him for all the mishaps that occurred this evening.

"Yeah," he gave a small smile and backed away even further. He didn't look so deviant now, he was just a fourteen year old boy at this moment. For once Siobhan relaxed and treated him to one her rare smiles.

"I'm going to get us some lemonade," she volunteered. But Andrew glided past her and grinned. "Naww, you just wait here. I'll get 'em. Be right back."

(Sinclair Building, March 30, 2012. 10:10 p.m)

It was starting to get late and Dick couldn't help but feel sleepy. He had outmaneuvered the girls following him and was getting quite bored of talking to people, especially middle-age men who were just interested in the Wayne Industries' stats.

He didn't see Siobhan or Andrew anywhere, so they must have went home. Or at least that was what he thought until he saw the Barnetts talking to Mr. Sinclair. But Dick didn't really care about that. A few minutes later, his suspicions were aroused from the Barnett boy coming back into the ballroom with a happy grin on his face.

Andrew was heading over to the refreshments table for two glasses of lemonade when he was ambushed by his *ahm* admirers. The happy grin he was sporting just moments ago was replaced by a flirtatious smirk and pretty soon he forgot about two glasses of lemonade on the table.

After a while, Dick realized that Andrew was not going to be heading back outside for the rest of the evening. So he grabbed two glasses of lemonade and walked out. He found Siobhan examining the bushes that grew along the stone walkway.

"Siobhan," he called. The girl looked up from the shrubbery and looked genuinely surprised at the fact that he was here. "Dick," she called back. He walked over to her and handed her the glass.

"What are you doing here? The party's inside," he said jokingly.

Siobhan furrowed her eyebrows. "I was waiting for- Andrew isn't coming back here, is he?" She looked very annoyed at the moment. "And just when I thought he had some redeeming qualities."

"So you guys didn't . . ." Dick trailed off and Siobhan's already pale face lit up a few degrees.

"Heavens no! That impudent little monkey! I was ready to pulverize him when he pushed me against that wall and-" She stopped after she noticed Dick's shocked expression and realized she had said too much.

"Let's just go back in now," Dick said blandly. He took a sip from his glass and walked back in with Siobhan following behind. They passed by Andrew and Catherine, who were busy exchanging inappropriate comments. Bruce was dancing with a well-known supermodel and both appeared to be enjoying themselves. Now all Dick needed to do was to wait until this party was over so he could get home and enjoy a good book or video game.

"Do you hear something," Siobhan suddenly asked.

"No, why?"

Siobhan set her glass down at a nearby table and shook her head. "Never mind, I must be imagining things. Excuse me." She hurried away before Dick could turn his head. Minutes later, the sound of breaking glass rang throughout the quaint ballroom like a gunshot.

Dick watched in horror as a stout and portly man flew through the glass window with a motorized umbrella. The man neatly landed on the dance floor as his henchmen rained from the sky. "Please hand over all your jewelry and money," he cackled. His henchmen snatched necklaces and bracelets from women nearby and knocked out the men and searched their person for any valuables.

Meanwhile, the whole ballroom was in chaos. The exits were blocked by the more muscular henchmen and even so, the patrons managed to cause a stampede and knock them down.

"Everyone, get out!" Dick grabbed as many people as he could who were still in shock from the Penguin's sudden entrance and pushed them in the direction of the exit. Over on the other side of the ballroom, he could see Bruce doing the same.

(Sinclair Building, March 30, 2012. 10: 51 p.m)

"Miss, are you alright?" Siobhan helped up an elderly couple and rushed them over to a nearby exit. She was just going to the restroom when someone crashed through the window, someone dangerous. And supposedly, she had to help all the patrons get out safely and wait until Batman and Robin showed up.

A henchman stood over a young man and aimed his gun at them. Siobhan froze his arms and hurried over to him.

"Laurent!"

She first helped the man up and pushed him out of the way as she saw a fist coming in her direction.

"Laurent!"

The shouting grew louder and from the corner of her eye, Siobhan saw a gang of henchmen surrounding familiar blonde. "Help me," she shrieked. Without thinking, Siobhan grabbed a silver tray and hit her opponent's stomach and then over his head as he doubled over in pain.

Catherine was huddling against someone, Andrew and both were cornered against a wall as a henchman grinned evilly at them. "Hand over the diamonds, girl and no one gets hurt," he drawled as his hand closed around the diamond necklace Catherine was wearing. A sudden series of sickening cracks was heard and the men fell over with a thud. Siobhan stood over them with a curtain rod in her hands. She threw it away and grabbed Andrew and Catherine by their hands.

"We've got to get out of here," she said over the commotion. But Catherine flew into a rage. "That goon has my necklace! Do you know how much it costs? My daddy gave it to-" Siobhan flung the both of them through the door and ran back in.

"I was talking to you, Laurent," she heard Catherine screech.

There was still a small amount of people left in the ballroom. She couldn't use her powers while they were still in range, they'd get hurt. Suddenly, a henchman flew across the room. Siobhan expected to see Batman and Robin, but it was only another party guest armed with a serving platter. Next to him was a teenager helping a man in shock as he struggled to say something.

"Richard!" There was no doubt about it and the man next to him must be his guardian, Bruce Wayne. There was no way they could remain safe for long. The Penguin was currently overlooking the commotion around him with a malicious glee, but there was no telling what he'd do when he decided to act.

Siobhan picked up her skirt and ran over to them. "Come, we must get you three out. That man need medical attention immediately." Mr. Wayne grunted as he was pulled forward by Siobhan, disbelief in his eyes at her strength. "Wait, Siobhan! Don-"

She flung the three males out the double doors before Dick could finish what he was saying and just as well. The ballroom was all empty now, save for a few unconscious guests. More henchmen were dropping through the ceiling and they were all armed with some kind automatic weapon. The Penguin smiled wickedly and tottered over to a door. Except it wasn't a door. He kicked it down with surprising strength and beyond it was another door, a large safe to be exact.

Siobhan clenched her fists and pointed it at him. Bands of liquid flowed around him and solidified into ice. The Penguin looked wildly around the ballroom, his beady eyes searching for his unknown opponent. Then without warning, a spark flew from his confines, seconds later he was freed from his icy restraints and the tip of his umbrella smoking.

(Gotham City, March 30, 2012. 11:27 p.m)

Dick picked himself up from the ground while a team of paramedics helped Mr. Sinclair onto a stretcher. Beside him, Bruce was seething. He and Dick stormed over to the doors, but were restrained by a group of police.

"Sir, I'mma have to ask you to stay put. Don't worry, a team of professionals are on their way." They were led away before Bruce could have his say in the matter. The man almost as angry as he did the day Dick bypassed all the security in the Batcave and took the Batcycle out for a joyride.

Now all they needed to do was figure out a way to slip away from the police and change into Batman and Robin. Frankly that was going to be very difficult when-

"Mr. Wayne! Over here! Are you alright?"

"Security precautions require you to be as far away from this building as possible."

"Channel 56, reporting live from the new Sinclair Building in Gotham City. Mr. Wayne, how did you-"

Even Dick was starting to feel a little angry at Siobhan for throwing them out of the ballroom.

(Sinclair Building, March 30, 2012. 11:42 p.m)

Siobhan calmed herself as she took refuge behind a pillar. The Penguin had just fired blindly moments ago with no regard for his henchmen's well-being whatsoever. "Come on out, kid. I won't hurt you," he cackled.

What was taking the Batman so long? Was there traffic or something? Siobhan heard gunfire from her left and peeked out. A squad of goons were attempting to shoot down the safe's door. There was a black scorch mark marring the metal door, proof that whatever was in the Penguin's umbrella was useless against the metal barrier.

The villain was firing blindly again. This time a stray shot almost hit an unconscious man on the ground. In return, Siobhan created a small dome over each unconscious party guest so they wouldn't caught in the cross fire. Then she ripped out a good portion of an apron she found on the floor and tied it around her face.

As she stepped out, the goons were instantly put on alert and opened fire on her. But the bullets ricocheted off a clear panel of ice and flew off in different directions. Siobhan made a gun with her fingers and pointed it at the henchmen. Moments later, the Penguin found himself surrounded by frozen blocks of ice containing his henchmen. "I expected someone more . . . cooler," the Penguin cackled before laughing at his pun. He let out a red blast from his umbrella and the panel of ice that was between him and Siobhan instantly shattered. "But it looks like you're not cool enough, milady," he drawled.

Icy white energy enveloped Siobhan's hands, the air around her crackling from the sudden change in temperature. She charged at the Penguin, intending to put Black Canary's training to use when suddenly, a burst of flame sent her recoiling across the room. She had barely stopped herself as a henchman jumped in front of her with a flamethrower in his hands.

"You see milady, fire beats ice and I'm about to bring the heat." The man was almost as fond of puns like Wally was fond of jokes, Siobhan thought. There were too many goons surrounding her to properly aim and discharge the energy that was collecting at her palms, so she jabbed one on the side, freezing his hand to his chest in the process and sent him flying across the ballroom with a spinning kick.

A burning smell perfumed the air and it took seconds to realize that one of the henchmen had sent Siobhan's dress on fire. Thankfully it was barely up to her calf, so Siobhan was able to put it out with an icy blast. A goon had snuck behind her and was about to bring his arms down on her head when a red flash of light hit him square in the back by accident.

"Move, you idiots! Break down the safe, I'll deal with her," the Penguin roared. Siobhan had seconds to form a barricade between the henchmen and the safe before the Penguin launched himself at her. He swung his open umbrella around and to Siobhan's utter surprise and dismay, it left a sizable gash in the polished marble floor as it touched it.

"Go easy on a poor man like me, milady," the penguin swung his umbrella around again and laughed. "But since when was I ever poor?" He pushed up his monocle and charged at Siobhan again. She stopped his weapon from touching her by blocking it with the heel of her shoe. Upon closer observation, there were tiny little blades spinning at the umbrella's rim and they were starting to slice through the thin heel of Siobhan's shoe. "Looks like you're going to have a wardrobe malfunction," the Penguin drawled. By now, the blade had sliced clean though the stiletto heel and was almost halfway through the sole. Siobhan mustered up all the strength she had and used it to push the Penguin away, in the process cutting through her shoe and scrapping the surface of the bottom of her foot.

With one shoe gone, there was no point in keeping the other one on anymore. She quickly unbuckled the straps and flung it at the Penguin. He lazily moved his umbrella in front of him and watched as the shoe was cut cleanly into two pieces.

For such a portly looking man, he was fast, not to mention strong. He managed to rip his umbrella away from Siobhan's grip when he saw her hands glowing white again. Of course, part of his right hand was now frozen and the ice was snaking up his arm. Before he could attack again, Siobhan leapt back and held out her hand.

The villain watched in awe and terror as panels of ice erupted from the floor. His last view of Siobhan before the panels sealed shut was her frowning at him and saying, "You are a very annoying and fat man."

"I am not fat," he screeched as the panels closed.

Now to deal with the henchmen working who were on destroying that safe.

(Gotham City, March 31, 2012. 12:19 a.m)

After Bruce and Dick escaped from the authorities' clutches, they hurried over to a particular alleyway where Bruce had stored backups of their costumes and weapons. Once they were ready, Batman and Robin jumped from rooftop to rooftop until they were back at the Sinclair building. On the rooftop was a large group of henchmen, all armed with high-powered weapons. The police were unable to do anything because the weapons were aimed at them and at spectators around the roadblock.

They took out about one-fourth of them before one man stepped forward with a body bag dragging behind him. From it, he pulled out a woman by her hair, bound and gagged and pointed the gun at her head. She was the supermodel Batman or rather Bruce Wayne was dancing with earlier in the evening.

"Drop the belt, Bats or she gets it," the man said with a crooked grin. Batman slowly took off his belt and placed it on the ground. "And you too, bird-brain," the man added. He pointed his gun at Robin and returned it back to the woman's temple.

As Robin placed his belt on the ground, Batman lashed out, releasing two Batarangs at the henchman and knocked the gun out of his hand. Robin then launched himself in the air and slammed his foot in the goon's face. As he helped to untie woman, Batman threw his belt over to him and proceeded to take out the rest of the henchmen.

Things got slightly difficult when the rest of the henchmen brought out flamethrowers, but Robin was able to counter back with a little improvising and a fire extinguisher from the rooftop stairwell. Once the rooftop was covered with a foamy heap of unconscious henchmen, Batman stormed over to the dome glass ceiling and peered inside. "We should go in," he growled.

He drove his steel-toed boots through the glass and jumped in through the hole. Robin followed after and landed on a fragile looking igloo.

"Let me out of here," someone screeched from within.

"Batman! Robin," another voice called. Near a walk-in safe, they saw a female fighting off henchmen who had cornered her against the door. She was picking them off one by one with icy blasts, but was having trouble avoiding the flamethrowers that threatened to light her on fire should she stray too close to them.

"What kept you," Siobhan asked as Robin jumped into the fray.

"We had a little trouble with the police," the Boy Wonder replied with a knowing smirk on his face.

"A lot more than just a little," Batman growled as he took out a henchman with a devastating uppercut.

"Well, sorry to trouble you even further. But the dome is going to collapse any moment now," Siobhan warned.

"What?"

"Well, I couldn't freeze him since he had those blasted umbrellas on his person and the ice had to keep repairing itself since he kept trying to cut it open. And I don't think I can keep fixing it anymore," she said in a quiet voice.

Batman frowned, but kept his cool. "Do you think you can hold it for a little longer," he asked.

"Yes."

"Good."

While they were talking, Robin had already decimated the number of henchmen remaining by half. "Stop chatting like girls and help me out, Bats," he laughed. The Batman took that as some kind of personal challenge and joined his protégé. Siobhan got out of the way just in time before Batman released some kind of tear gas from exploding pellets. After that, Batman and Robin worked side by side beat down the remaining henchmen.

"You're going to pay for this," the Penguin screeched from inside the dome.

Batman smirked at this and looked for something to tie the henchmen together. He found it in the form of a soaked and burned tapestry. Meanwhile, Robin took a closer look at the dome. "So how long has he been in there," he asked.

"Thirty-four minutes."

"Oh."

Siobhan crossed her arms and walked over. "For such a . . . round opponent, he sure can fight. And I found it unbelievable at how many umbrellas he has on him." She flicked a lock of wet hair and grimaced. "His henchmen were quite the pain."

"Come on, Shivette. All they had were just itty bitty flamethrowers," Robin teased.

"Tch, if you'd like to be incinerate into a crisp, then you-"

An explosion detonated from within the dome, shattering it and blowing Robin and Siobhan away in the process. When the smoke and mist cleared, they saw the Penguin hiding behind one of his umbrella, this time it was large enough to cover all of him.

"I had enough of playtime, missy. You've wasted more than enough of my time," the Penguin snarled. He brandished his umbrella and opened fire at Siobhan. She ducked out of the way and tripped on a large piece of rubble. The Batman leapt high up in the air and delivered a crushing drop kick. The Penguin rolled out of the way as Batman created a small crater in the marble floor.

Robin took out his Batarangs and threw them at the villain before he could get up. "Shiv, you stay there as backup. Take care of the unconscious," he called.

One of his Batarangs detonated and sent the Penguin flying into the air. The man took out another umbrella from somewhere on his body and it expanded to the size of a normal umbrella. "Sorry, Bats! You'll never catch me," he cackled.

"He's getting away," Robin shouted.

Batman took out another Batarang and threw it at the ruined chandelier. The chain snapped. "Arghh!" The Penguin swerved violently out of the way to avoid the falling glass and metal.

"Robin, maneuver seven!" Robin didn't to be told twice what to do. Batman cupped his hands and his protégé used them as a foothold to launch himself higher up into the air. There, he kicked Penguin's chest and sent him crashing into the wall across from him. The Penguin then fell into an undignified heap on the wet floor, coughing and wheezing as he attempted to get up.

Batman walked up to him to clean up the fiasco the villain had caused. First, he found three more small umbrellas hidden in the Penguin's blazer and then two more tucked neatly inside his pockets. Suddenly, the Penguin reached out and grabbed the Batman's ankle and reached for his umbrella lying on the floor. But one steel toed boot belonging to the Dark Knight crushed it and kicked it away. "Sorry, but you're going to jail," he said.

(Gotham City, March 31, 2012. 1:00 a.m)

All the henchmen were being handcuffed and taken away, some to Gotham Penitentiary, some to the hospital to be treated for frostbite. "Get your dirty hands off me," the Penguin grunted. But in the end, he was put into a police car with his hands handcuffed behind his back.

Batman and Commissioner Gordon were having a discussion about the damages done to the building and what could be inside the safe. Normally, the Dynamic Duo would have been gone before the police stormed through the building, but with the large amount of the wounded and unconscious, they had no choice but to stay behind and help out of the goodness of their hearts. There was no apprehension between the Gotham Police Department and the Batman however, most of them were just in awe that the Batman had even stayed behind long enough for them to get a glimpse.

"Revis Sinclair is at the hospital right now. He suffered from a mild panic attack."

The Dark Knight just stared at the Commissioner with a blank expression, due to his cowl obscuring most of his face. "Mhm" was his only reply.

Robin busied himself by helping the paramedics load stretchers onto the ambulance. The partygoers were unharmed save for some cases of mild hypothermia. After, he walked over to Siobhan, who was being questioned by a member of the police by the stairs.

"So how you doing," he asked as the policeman left her.

"Very cold." She was wrapped in a thin wool blanket, courtesy of the paramedics and was drinking hot coffee out of a dixie cup.

"How ironic that you're affected by your own powers," Robin laughed.

Siobhan frowned at him. "I may be able to bring the cold, but I can feel it too. Not to mention the fire alarm went off and I was soaked in about sixty gallons of ice cold water."

Her soaked dress and hair was enough proof to her previous statement. "That sucks," Robin said in sympathy.

"Well, tonight was not my best night," Siobhan sighed. She put the cup down and wrapped the blanket tighter against her body.

"Really? How, Shivette?" He took a seat on the granite stair rail and looked at her with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Can you believe that this was my first 'date'?" Siobhan loosened her grip on the blanket to make air quotation marks.

"Yes, I can," Robin replied. "This is coming from the person who tried caramel ice cream for the first time in her life last December." He didn't mention how it was probably her first time seeing another sane person outside of Arkham.

"W-well, that's true. And if I had my way, I would turn back time and punched that obnoxious narcissist in the face," Siobhan muttered.

Robin looked over at Batman, who was talking to other members of the police department. "So it was that bad," he absently replied.

"Yes."

"How bad?"

"He forced me to dance and kept looking downwards at my chest when he thought I wasn't paying attention. Furthermore, I was pushed against a wal-"

"I get it. It was _that_ bad." Robin smirked at his indignant teammate and nudged her shoulder. "Don't worry. By tomorrow, all this," he made a circular gesture at the police and ambulances, "will be over."

Siobhan sniffed disdainfully. "I hope so, if I ever hear someone refer to me as "hot" or "babe", so help me I will-"

"You can calm down now, Shivette."

"Sorry."

A comfortable silence settled upon them as Robin watched the ambulances drive away, the sirens cutting through the cold night. Siobhan busied herself with wiping the remainder of the makeup that survived cold shower she had taken earlier. Once the streets were almost cleared, with the exception of the police and firefighters, Robin directed his attention over to the Batman. He was still talking to James Gordon, which was odd since the Batman was not very prone to talking.

Suddenly, a loud sneeze erupted from beside him and he looked down at Siobhan, who sneezed again. "You alright," he asked.

"How can I be," she replied almost sarcastically.

Robin took the blanket she was using to wipe her face with and draped it across her shoulders. "At least keep yourself from freezing to death. That way, I can wipe the floor with you tomorrow during training," he said happily. Siobhan scowled and whipped the blanket off her. "Cheat. At least I do not have to refer to underhand tactics to win."

"I wasn't cheating. Call it . . . using the skills I was taught," Robin replied tartly. To his great surprise, Siobhan didn't reply back with a cutting remark or shoot him with a scathing look, instead she looked like she was torn between being indignant and embarrassed.

"No one-It was suppose to be a fair fight," she blurted out. Luckily, they were far away from the police and spectators so no one else heard Siobhan's outburst.

"And it was, wasn't it," Robin felt a grin tugging on the corners of his mouth.

" . . . No." She clenched the thin blanket in her hands so tightly that it started dripping with the water it had soaked up. "As for me, I am looking forward to wiping that smirk off your face when I – as Wally would put it – hand your butt over to you." She turned to look at him and on her face was one of the most disturbing smiles he ever saw on a person.

When he wasn't responding, Siobhan put her hand in front of his face and snapped her fingers. He jerked upright and almost fell from his seat. "Don't do that," he ran a hand through his hair and groaned. What was taking Bats so long?

Now that he and Siobhan were back to being friendly rivals, at least until tomorrow when a match would determine who dominated who, he was contented to just sit and watch the police officers ogle Batman until he paralyzed them all with a Batglare. After a while, that started to become boring, he looked around.

There were a good number of civilians lining up on the sidewalks and gawking at him. He was used to that, since he was after all, Dick Grayson _and_ Robin. He noticed though, that Siobhan was glaring at them with some kind of wicked intent in her eyes. "Whatever you're thinking, don't do it," he said nonchalantly, "Bats and I might end up cleaning up your mess."

"I was just thinking about walking up to that woman right there and snatching her camera out her hands. Don't you see that they are taking pictures," she said menacingly.

"Taking pictures of what? Of us," he looked at her blank face and just for the heck of it, added, "Or_ us?"_ And just to let her know what exactly he had meant, Robin sent her a devilish grin, the same one Wally used when he swept Artemis off her feet and rushed out of the room for some _alone_ time.

After a good moment, Siobhan's pale face lit up like a Christmas light. "Why you little . . . ruffian!" She cringed when Robin's grin grew bigger and turned away. A light breeze blew by them, Robin remaining unfazed since he had his cape, but Siobhan was shuddering.

"C-curse this dress," she muttered. Robin, being who he was jumped off his perch a minute later to fetch her another blanket, least his sparring partner succumb to hypothermia.

(Gotham City, March 31, 2012. 1:26 a.m)

Commissioner Gordon had volunteered to take Siobhan "home", since they had met once when he picked Barbra up from a choir meeting. He was a typical law enforcement officer who looked like he enjoyed donuts and coffee and was a goofy person when he was with Barbra, or so Siobhan heard. So the sight of him having a conversation that extended over five minutes with the Batman was puzzling. She almost expected some sort of argument or even a brawl to start.

Suddenly, something white fluttered above her and draped over her shoulders. "There," Robin said. Siobhan didn't even notice he went missing until she saw he wasn't sitting on the railing next to her. Over his shoulder, she could see some spectators pulling out their cellphones and snapping photos of them.

"What are you doing," she asked.

"Keeping you from freezing to death. I kinda do wanna kick your butt tomorrow, remember," he asked with a teasing grin. "Or did you forget?"

When she didn't answer, Robin looked over his shoulder and saw what she was looking at. With a lazy wave of his hand, he turned back and smirked at her. "Don't get worked up. They're just taking some pictures."

"And I suppose you don't have to worry since no one knows your identity?"

"Not really."

"And you do remember that I don't have my mask or suit, right?"

"Yeah."

What Siobhan was trying to say without yelling was if someone from the Academy realized that she was in "cahoots" with _Robin_ of the Dynamic Duo, it would spread like wildfire since Robin was a popular source of conversation due to his and the Batman's adventures all over Gotham. Not to mention, he and the Batman have a fan club dedicated to Gotham's Dark Knight and his sidekick-pardon- protégé as Robin always insisted.

To sum up her situation, not only on Monday would Siobhan have to come face to face with the results of her disastrous date, but probably have fanatics on her heels as well as criticism about how she looked when someone like Catherine realized it was her and how she looked. Being from Arkham, she had learned how to draw attention away from her, for attention was a bad thing and was something to be feared.

And as if Robin had read her mind, he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and smiled. "You look . . . nice. Stop panicking and chill. They're more scared of you than you are of them."

That didn't exactly help Siobhan calm down since there were more flashes from pictures being taken.

But she returned her attention to Robin and smiled to reassure him that she was just fine. This boy was strange indeed, somehow he manages to be infuriatingly unpredictable and a comfort at the same without annoying her. No one else she knew could do that, they were either all insane and locked away or the sweetest people she'd ever met, not that she'd admit that to anyone. Well, maybe just to Megan and Kaldur.

"Uhh, Shivette. Earth to Shivette?" A loud clap jolted Siobhan from her thoughts and she returned back to the material plane with a growing frown.

"Don't do that," she snapped.

Maybe she had spoken too soon. Her teammate was chuckling to himself now, pointing at her indignant and mortified expression while cameras behind him flashed and snapped. Adorable in a way, but humiliating to watch since he was laughing and pointing at her. So, she ruffled his hair, which obviously shocked Robin as he patted it down.

"You should calm down. Cameras are taking pictures," she said. There was a hint of smile forming on the corner of her lips as Robin stuttered to respond back.

"Alright, fun's over, kids. I gotta get you home before it's too late," said a gruff voice from her right. Commissioner Gordon walked up to them and after shooting disapproving a look at Robin, led Siobhan over to his car. She looked behind her and saw that her teammate and his mentor were already gone.

The Commissioner grunted, "Don't get mixed up with that one. He's a bad influence, just so you know."

"Indeed, Mr. Gordon."

"Don't call me that. It makes me feel old. Call me James."

"Alright, Mister James."

(Gotham City, March 31, 2012. 1:46 a.m)

From the rooftops, Robin watched as the Commissioner's car pulled away. The man always had a fond dislike of him even though he didn't know his secret identity. Strangely enough, he knew him as Dick Grayson and still didn't like him. It must either be something he said or something Barbra said. Since when did anyone dislike Dick Grayson or Robin?

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> Twas the longest chapter I've ever written, tis about 28 eight pages. Anyways, I'm gonna update in like two three weeks later, depending on how much summer school's gonna suck. But WHO'S GONNA WATCH THE NEW BATMAN MOVIE? AHAHAHA~ Can't wait to see Anne Hathway as Catwoman~ Hoped you all enjoyed this chapter~ Review~


	12. Chapter 12

**Shitz-Suji:** Hearts out to those that died during the Aurora Theater Massacre. It was an exact example for everything that the Dark Knight stood against and I hope that the families affected are standing strong.

It's been one or two days since two weeks passed, sorry~ I've just been caught up with band and piano and no more math for me XD Just to clarify for this chapter, I'm at a piano competition right now, so I have no computer to write with. Instead I jacked my brother's iTouch and did a few drabbles and it led to this. So if you see any mistakes, don't hesitate to point them out~ Enjoy~

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><p>(Bialya, April 14, 2012. 4:35 p.m)<p>

"Man, you're jumpy today." Kid wolfed down a whole chocolate bar and tossed the wrapper aside as he waited for Shiv to catch up. He almost became an ice cube just moments ago when he unintentionally teased the girl about her recent appearance in the tabloids. Joking around was like second nature to the speedster, but unfortunately Shiv didn't find any humor in his ridiculous matchmaking schemes, particularly the ones that involved her and the Boy Wonder.

The Bialyan climate was sweltering to say at the least and Shiv didn't do well in the heat, mostly because her long black cloak. She was itching to freeze Kid in an igloo so she might have some temporary relief from the sun as a result, but he was needed for this mission. "So what's between you and Rob? I swear no one else will know but m-"

"One more word and I will-" Kid pushed her away from him just seconds before a missile landed where they were just standing. They could see an army of tanks from a good distance from where they were standing and there was a good chance that those tanks weren't out on a routine patrol.

(Bialya, April 14, 2012. 4:53 p.m)

Robin ducked down as Superboy swung a jeep at the cluster of soldiers shooting at them. The men scattered before the vehicle could reach them and opened fire on the Kryptonian. "Just a little more," Robin muttered. Suddenly, an explosion went off, triggering a string of Batarangs Robin had strategically placed in the sand earlier to detonate.

"Run!" Superboy threw the boulder he was holding aside and sprinted after his teammate before the soldiers could retaliate. They quickly scaled up a rock structure and ducked into a small cave. "We're getting close. Whatever's down there, they don't want us to find it." Superboy nodded in agreement, they had discovered a metal hatch just before a Bialyan soldier armed with a bazooka ambushed them. Below their little hideout, a single tank roared past, the gun barrel poised to fire at the slightest provocation.

It suddenly blew apart without warning at all. Robin expected to see a whole fleet of tanks following the attack instead of a sleek military drone twisting through the air like it was escaping from something. Only a slight distortion behind it told the duo that it was Miss Martian in the Bioship. Trailing the Bioship were two more drones, which collided with the third one as ship took a sudden dive.

_I think I'm gonna be sick_, Rocket groaned.

Robin quickly checked below to see if the coast was clear before he climbed down the rocky ledge to greet his teammates. Superboy didn't even bother as he rushed out from the cave and jumped down fifty feet just as Miss Martian exited from the Bioship with Rocket. "Where's Aqualad and the others," the Martian girl asked as she hugged Superboy.

In that same moment, a small shockwave shook the ground that they were standing on and over in the distance, a tower of ice was briefly seen before something caused it to collapse. "Everyone in the ship," Miss Martian urged. There was no need to repeat as the shockwaves grew more violent.

_Miss Martian, fall back. We are heading in your direction right now_, Aqualad ordered.

Robin caught sight of four specks glimmering in the air, upon closer observation, they were the other half of the Team riding on Shiv's glacier platforms.

_Can't this thing go any faster?_

_You want to run or fly, Kid Mouth,_ Artemis snapped.

Just when Robin thought that the four were going to crash into the Bioship, they turned transparent and fazed into mist and for good reason. Four incoming missiles imploded midair at where the four were last seen, causing Miss Martian to pull the ship upwards to avoid getting caught in the explosion.

_That was a close one. I almost thought we were gonna get blown up. Nice one, Shiv,_ Artemis said.

Robin grinned. _We almost got blown up because you guys dodged._

_Hey, better you than your girlfriend, right? _ The Boy Wonder could almost hear the eyebrows on Kid's face waggle, no doubt that his best friend was going to get what was coming to him after Shiv turned him back. Right after that idea crossed his mind, Kid popped out of thin air, plummeted downwards, and disappearing again before he hit the ground.

_What was that for? I almost-_

_My vindictive side is resurfacing, don't test it._

Unfortunately for Robin, he had been seeing that side a lot for the past two weeks. After a picture of him and Siobhan ended up on a popular tabloid magazine, she had been dogged by pesky reporters and paparazzi assuming she was familiar with Robin. It had been funny at first when Dick watched from afar as a member of the paparazzi shoved a camera in front of Siobhan's surprised face until she got over the shock and pushed and shoved her way through the crowd. As a result, a few expensive cameras were either damaged or broken in the process, forcing Bruce to secretly pay for them as compensation.

After that, whenever Siobhan and Robin were seen together at the Cave, Wally would tease them both mercilessly despite Siobhan's many attempts to reason with him. As for Robin, he found that teasing Siobhan was pretty fun until she gave up on logic and began using draconian methods to intimidate the press and Wally, which did not work on the latter. At least she was being more forward with her emotions now.

The Bioship landed just beyond the Logan Animal Preserve because Marie Logan insisted that whenever the Team visited the preserve, that they'd park the ship somewhere far away in case if any invading Bialyan tanks decided to cut through her preserve. Miss Martian agreed to it out of concern for the woman and her son, Garfield's safety.

Robin followed Superboy out of the ship's entrance hatch to where the rest of the Team was waiting. While they were trekking to the preserve, Aqualad began scolding Shiv for endangering Kid's life to which she was forced to apologize to Kid for.

(Qurac, April 14, 2012. 5:48 p.m)

Batman had sent the Team to Bialya three hours ago on a recon mission. He showed them a clip of the international news of Queen Bee announcing to the world that her country had made several technological advances to prevent hostile countries from invading via press conference. Of course, in reality Bialya was doing the invading, not the other way around. The Justice League was concerned about what kind of technological advances she meant and what they could to the global political balance. It was obviously not the phony demonstration of fighter jets opening fire on a couple of tests dummies, almost every country had them. But just to be sure, the Justice League insisted that the Batman send the Team on a mission.

As it turned out, it proved to be a great stress-reliever for Siobhan. Even though Aqualad assigned Kid to be her partner just to patch up the tension between the two, she managed to find solace in destroying tanks and guns which was better than the alternative of taking it out on Robin during their rematch spar.

Much to Siobhan's embarrassment, he won again by using underhand tactics, this time by pretending he had forfeited the fight. It was something she should have expected from him, but not when he joined Wally in his game of mocking her.

_Honestly, some of the inmates of Arkham have better manners than those two._

She had forgotten that her thoughts were being broadcasted through Miss Martian's psychic link with the Team. But nobody looked offended, Artemis glanced at her knowingly turning back around and Robin grinned evilly in her direction after nudging Kid, who already recovered from the shock of falling from a hundred or so feet in the air.

"Hey sis, you're back!" A boy ran towards Miss Martian and tackle-hugged her. He must be the child she was talking about back in the Cave, the one who had Martian blood running through his veins from a blood transfusion, Garfield Logan. He certainly looked like he could be related to M'Gann, with his green skin, freckles, and cheerful smile. "Ooh, you guys got a new teammate?"

He turned to Shiv and looked her over. "Hey, the name's Garfield, but you can call me Gar. What's your name? What can you do? Can you fly or-" He was speaking English so fast that Shiv could barely make out one or two words.

"Garfield!"

A woman rushed over and quickly greeted the Team. She must be Garfield's mother, Marie Logan. "Come on, it's not safe out here." Marie led the Team and her son over to the main house and ushered them inside. Once they were all seated in the living room, she served them lemonade and cookies. "I'm guessing you're all here because of Bialya's weapon upgrades, right," she asked tiredly.

"Indeed," Aqualad replied. "Do you know anything about it?"

Marie shook her head. "All I know is that half the animals here can't graze without getting spooked by some kind of plane or tank exploding. There's been two stampedes in the last five days." She refilled Garfield's empty glass with more lemonade and turned the television on.

The same clip that Batman showed them earlier was playing itself again on the local news. Queen Bee smiled demurely as she addressed the press and their questions.

_I am proud to announce that Bialya is the first country in the Middle East to improve their military power. This will be the first of many steps to ensure that our citizens may rest easy from the fear of invasion._

The camera cut to a viewing of six fighter jets zooming across the sky in complicated air maneuvers. "The citizens of Bialya and Qurac are planning an uprising, they think that Queen Bee might wage war on Qurac," Robin put down his glass and looked at the television.

"At least we know where their underground base might be," Rocket said. "When they're least expecting it, we can swoop in for a surprise attack."

"No attacking, we investigate only. The worst outcome would be us having to destroy base without them knowing," Aqualad replied solemnly.

Before anyone from the Team could reply, Marie covered her son's ears and glared at them all. "If you want to make battle plans, do it somewhere we can't hear, please." No one could argue with that, the woman was just trying to safeguard both her son and the team's safety. She was familiar with life in Qurac and therefore, familiar with all the risks that came with it.

Miss Martian apologized immediately and tried to change the topic. "I saw your fence line . . . snapped again. Want me to fix it for you?" Marie let go of Garfield and smiled. "Yes please, and after if it isn't too much trouble, could you help me with dinner?"

(Qurac, April 14, 2012. 6:37 p.m)

When M' Gann agreed to help around the preserve, the rest of the Team joined in since they were technically invited to stay the night and imposing on the Logans. While Miss Martian fixed the fence line, Superboy helped feed the animals and carry the feed bags around. Shiv provided cool water to the animals and flowers and helped Garfield groom the animals.

Meanwhile, Kid and Robin were tasked with setting up the sleeping bags in the living room and Aqualad, Artemis, Kid, and Rocket were in charge of running miscellaneous errands for Marie, such as grocery shopping and etc.

"And M' Gann goes next to Supey. Kaldur next to Raquel . . ." Robin glanced over at his best friend, he knew where the red-head was going with this. "And you go over there and Shiv can have the corner over there." Nevermind, Robin misjudged his friend. Maybe the drop actually scared him.

"Come back here!" Robin looked out the window where an Oryx was running past with Garfield and Shiv chasing after it. He stifled a laugh when Shiv tried get a hold of the animal's backside and tripped on her cloak. "You're a slowpoke," Garfield shouted as he continued the chase. For once, she didn't reply back with a cutting remark, instead she started laughing.

"It's really scary when she does that, you know." Kid unfolded his sleeping bag and looked out the window. "But she's better laughing than getting mad. Believe me, I know," he said referring to his fall earlier in the day.

"I got him!" Garfield raced past the window again with the Oryx in his arms, it was obviously terrified from the way it was bleating. "Let's get him back to the barn then." Shiv handed him her cloak to cover the animal with and walked off in the direction of the barn.

"Something tells me you like Shivette," Kid teased. Robin frowned at this and returned to his task of unfolding the sleeping bags.

"You've been saying that all week, haven't you learned anything today?" It was fun to tease Siobhan since she was such an easy target, but it was a whole other thing when it came to Robin. "And even if I did, there's no guarantee that she likes me back," he said a-matter-of-factly. Then he remembered who he was talking to and that he just dug himself in a hole with no escape plan.

"Let's say that hypothetically you do and hypothetically she liked you back, what are you going to do about it? She's not going to tell you straight out like Zee." Kid paused to think about it and slung his arm around Robin's shoulders. "Hypothetically, you guys get along so well, it's hard not to think that you guys don't hypothetically like each other."

Robin took the arm around his shoulders off and placed his sleeping bag neatly on the floor. "Let's look at reality, Shiv-"

"Secretly takes delight in ultra-violence and almost gave a guy hypothermia for taking pictures? We all know that," Kid scoffed and winked at Robin as Garfield and Shiv stomped through the front door. She frowned at the two when they grinned mischievously at her. "Is it just me or is that Shiv looks hotter when she's mad," Kid wondered out loud. The frown instantaneously melted in a deadpanned expression, only the slight twitching of the corner of her mouth betrayed what she was feeling.

Beside Kid, Robin was almost expecting another round of verbal sparring between the two except it usually took a lot more than just one sentence to get Siobhan started. "I got the bottles! Let's go," Garfield brandished an armful of bottles filled with warmed milk and ran outside with Shiv following behind.

When the door slammed shut, Kid slumped to the floor with a groan. "Dude, I set you up, why didn't you take it?"

"You almost set me up with a trip to the North Pole, that's what you did!" Robin punched his friend playfully in the arm before taking out Kaldur's sleeping bag out. "Thanks though."

"Anytime, Rob."

(Qurac, April 14, 2012. 7:45 p.m)

Dinner was delicious as always. M' Gann and Marie prepared enough food to feed almost twenty people or nine people and a speedster. Siobhan scooped up as much noodles as she could before Wally could take his share of it. All in all, it was just like dinner back at the Cave without Red Tornado checking in on them every hour or so.

"Rob, go sit over there would you?" Kid pointed to an empty seat across from Siobhan. As Robin sat down in his designated chair, she shot Kid a dirty look before returning her attentions back to her plate and fork. It did nothing to deter the speedster from asking questions about her supposed "boyfriend." She was beyond mortified when Kid recounted details about the nights she went out with Robin. He must have been spying on them since Siobhan never related anything to anyone and Robin was very protective about his privacy.

"That's it. I'm going to the barn, if I'm needed, then call me." Siobhan wiped her mouth with a napkin and set her plate down on the table. "Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Logan, M'Gann. It was delicious." She stomped out the door before anyone could tell her otherwise. She wasn't angry at Wally. No, it was more like she was confused. Siobhan had become familiar with that feeling for the past two weeks, starting with when a man pressed a microphone against her face last Monday when she exited Gotham Academy.

Humans seemed to take great joy in invading the privacy of others, or so it would seem. Siobhan didn't forget about the search in progress around Gotham for her fellow Arkham inmates or for her. She was secretly scared that if one of the orderlies from the Asylum caught a glimpse of her face, she'd be hauled back to her cell despite of any intervention from Batman and Robin, if they would even intervene at all.

It was moments like these that made Siobhan reflect on how much she really didn't belong. She wasn't clear on the how, but she knew the why and what. Then there was Wally butting in with his attempts at joking around. His . . . interest in her life was appreciated, but not needed. Siobhan couldn't figure out how to get angry properly, much less like somebody . . . that way.

"That little wease-"

No, punching down the door of Marie's barn was certainly not a good outlet to channel her anger. She retracted her fist and sat down on the dirt ground. So maybe it could be Wally's fault that she was riled up and her own for overreacting. "I wish I took the plate with me," she lamented. "So then I'd have something to eat right now."

"Wish granted." The last person she wanted to see at the moment stepped out of the shadows with a plate of pasta noodles. "Wally was going to eat them if I didn't take them over to you," he explained.

"What are you doing here, Robin? Shouldn't you be back inside making plans with Aqualad?" But she took the plate and silently thanked him for it.

He took a seat beside her and grinned. "We're going to do that after the Logans go to sleep. Right now, they're just watching "Hello Megan" with Garfield."

" . . . Hello Megan? Isn't that what Megan says whe-"

"Yeah, it's a long story."

"So I heard."

Robin scratched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I know what you're thinking and sure Wally can be kind of annoying sometimes, but he's a good guy and he cares . . . a little too much sometimes . . . Are you even listening?"

"Continue on," She chewed thoughtfully on the noodles and twirled the fork around her fingers for Robin to go on.

"My point is Wally is going to be, well Wally and it might take a while before something better than playing matchmaker comes up." Siobhan responded with a skeptical look on her face and put a forkful of noodles into her mouth.

"You don't believe me?"

Siobhan shook her head and put her plate down. "I believe the only way to stop Wally from being Wally is have him undergo a full lobotomy in Arkham." The fork slipped from her fingers and fell onto the ground with a dull clink. "I was joking," she said to Robin's stunned face.

He sighed and leaned on the wooden door of the barn. "Good, cuz' I thought you were serious back there." Siobhan frowned and picked up the fork before twirling it around her fingers again. Perhaps talking about something else beside Wally would be better, his best friend wouldn't feel comfortable about discussing methods to reduce his teammate to a vegetable.

"You know, you're a lot different that what I'd imagine you to be. Like a mellower Superboy," Robin said, grinning as laughter erupted from the main house. When she didn't reply, Robin poked her on the arm and smiled gently. "With an appetite like Wally's."

"I do not," she shot back indignantly. Unlike him, she didn't need to eat as much to function. She just enjoyed the taste of Megan's cooking and ice cream, but seeing the snarky grin on Robin's face made her not want to justify herself. He'd probably twist her words around and make her seem like a glutton.

"I'm serious. From day one, I'd thought you'd turn out to be like Red Tornado or something," Robin laughed. Unfortunately, Siobhan could find no humor in that picture, it had come pretty close to what she was like in the beginning stages of her life. She didn't need anymore reminders of that or what she almost became. "And how would it be like for you and the Team if I was," she whispered.

She would have never established a connection with Poison Ivy or Miss Martian and the rest of the Team. She would have never turned on her creator and father and her future would have been marked with solitude. That was the one thing she could never bring herself to imagine, not in a million years.

"I don't know, maybe Wally would tease you even more and M' Gann would try to feed you even more cookies," Robin smirked. "But you'll still be the same to us.

Siobhan wanted to recoil into a corner when Robin scooted closer to her. It was an innocent enough gesture, but it seemed like when he was in closer proximity, everything about him became more pronounced.

_And he'll pick you up and plant one on you! Then you go, "Oh Robin, how did I get so lucky?"_

A string of curses ran though her head, if voodoo worked, she'd be using it to curse Wally into the depths of the underworld and throw away the key. But then, he might guess that he could be correct all along and Siobhan would have to suffer through the embarrassment coming her way once the Justice League rescued him.

"Something wrong, Shivette?" She turned found herself face to face with Robin, who had a dangerous smirk curving on his lips. A cold pang of dread and adrenaline flooded her veins. She would be snapping back at him if her jaw would move. For goodness sakes, she was a genetically superior being, not some slack-jawed idiot with her mouth hanging open.

_Come on, Shivette~ Don't you like Robin? You can call him Robby or Rob_. I won't tell~

Like how she reacted when she heard Wally say it the first time, her stomach lurched and there was an increasing urge to root him to the ground with ice. And the Boy Wonder wasn't helping her cause one bit, he seemed content to be where he was. It was just fortunate that no one else was out here to see this and even if there were, she'd have no qualms in deleting their memories with force.

"Fine, just fine," she muttered and backed away from his predatory grin. His smile stretched further when Robin noticed her discomfort, his canines gleaming in the moonlight. To her dismay, he scooted over to her again. "You look a little red there," he whispered softly, making every nerve and cell in her body hyperaware of every little sensation.

Her face was red? Siobhan didn't register the blood flow to her cheeks had increased until now. "I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. Suddenly, something warm and soft grazed against her hand, sending a painful yet pleasant jolt throughout her arm. "Oh my," she gasped.

Robin grinned evilly and leaned in closer. This maniac is enjoying this, Siobhan thought irately. She looked everywhere else besides his face, the fence, the wagon, the tree, the flutter of a cape, an ear.

"I think you might be coming down with something."

Siobhan cringed at the little shock that just shot through her spine. His voice went down an octave and he was still looking at her with a deceivingly gentle smile. "R-R-Robin," she hissed, but it came out a weak stutter. If she had her cloak, she could easily put on the hood and be done with it, but it was in the barn and her mask was inside on the dinner table. She could see his lips in full detail, the shadows around his mask, and the way his hair fluttered in the breeze.

Never before the power of thought had reared its ugly head and sank its fangs into her mind. Wally's voice became muddled and her traitorous thoughts began to fill the empty spaces, all of them for what she stood against. While she was trying to sort her thoughts out, Robin began to close the distance between them, the predatory smirk was back on his face.

It was unjust, he was cool, composed, and in control while she was close to melting into a puddle of water and faint. His hand brushed against hers again, sending another painful shock through her arm. "If you want, we can go in," he whispered low. Without knowing what happened, Siobhan's breathing quickened. She tried to hold her breath and look away, but her body wouldn't allow it. So she closed her eyes and expected for the worst to come.

. . .

"You should see yourself right now!" The sound of Robin laughing echoed through the night, startling some wildebeests that were grazing nearby. Before he knew what hit him, a palm slammed into the side of his face.

(Qurac, April 14, 2012. 8:31 p.m)

"You're terrible!" Even though her eyes were narrowed, Robin could see that her eyes had become watery. "Did you know I almost had a heart attack and a stroke at the same time?" The palm pressed against his face pushed harder, any more and Robin would find himself kissing the ground.

"Could ya let go of mah face," he mumbled.

"Have you learned your lesson now," she hissed.

"Possibwy, so could ya let go?"

She reluctantly relented and pulled her arm back. "Don't ever do that again, you understand," she huffed.

Robin nodded and nursed his sore cheek. To think, Siobhan would get so worked up over a few words. At first, he was just a little worried when she didn't answer him, then it became a little more than just concern. When his hand accidentally slipped on the dirt and touched hers, she looked like she saw a ghost. The second time, he did it on purpose and the results were just as he expected.

When he looked over at her again, she had calmed down a bit, but her cheeks were still a little pink. "You alright," he asked. She responded by holding up a glowing fist, so she was resorting to the draconian methods again, the ones she developed specifically for Wally.

" Ok . . . "

She got up and dusted herself off. "I'm going to sleep. Go and discuss your plans. If something involves me, get Megan or Artemis to wake me up." When Robin stood up as well, she disappeared in a cloud of gray mist.

(Qurac, April 14, 2012. 10:10 p.m)

"We're done tonight. Everyone go get some rest." Kaldur got up from his seat on the couch and headed over to the restroom. Meanwhile, Artemis and Raquel strayed over to the kitchen to get a late snack, the others quickly hurried over to their sleeping bags to get situated.

Robin looked down at his sleeping bag near the front door than every at everyone else's. His was further apart from everyone else, Wally's idea to let the couples enjoy each other company while keeping Siobhan from terrorizing himself and his best friend. In fairness, the red-head had put Siobhan's bag in a corner so she could enjoy her sleep in solitude.

Without another thought, he picked up his sleeping bag and dragged it across the living room. Everyone, especially Wally turned their attention over to him as he placed it next to Siobhan. Sure, he'd probably just dug his grave, but he'd deal with it the next morning.

When he turned around again to adjust the end, he was met with many bemused stares, particularly from Megan. "It was cold being near the window," he explained to them. Both Megan and Wally shook their heads before getting into their sleeping bags, a tell-tale smile on their faces. In fact, everyone was smiling at him now because of this so-called public display of affection. But it wasn't, the last one he made was almost six months ago and he wasn't about to break his streak.

Marie Logan came in one last time to warn them, since they were teenagers and all, but her concerns were unfounded. Everyone was either just talking to each other or half asleep. Robin quickly took off his utility belt, cape, and shoes and placed them somewhere close where he can reach in case if something came up in the middle of the night. His mask was going to stay on no matter what.

The lights were turned off and the string of conversations was slowly dying down. As Robin got into his sleeping bag, Siobhan stirred and rolled over. Now wouldn't a good time for her to wake up, especially after she's probably had enough rest to take him out with a single punch.

Maybe Wally was right, maybe she was more fascinating when she was angry.

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> The funny part is gonna be when she wakes up and gets a faceful of Robin. :D TROLOLOLOL But she's still pissed at him. I tried to make them a little bit more like teenagers, the hero parts will come in the next chapter. I think I overdid it though D: I was gonna do this scene somewhere like chapter 15, but I wanted to try my hand at more fluff or whatever this may be ;D OH NO! IT'S MY TURN TO PLAY IN TEN MINUTES TT_TT So tell me what you readers think~ Review~


	13. Chapter 13

**Shitz-Suji: **Mistakes TT_TT ugh, three words: band camp . . . . Enjoy~

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><p>(Qurac, April 15, 2012. 12:36 a.m)<p>

Sometimes, sleeping got to be a real bother. One would wake up and feel even more tired than one was when one first fell asleep, and that was exactly Robin felt at the moment. He along with rest of the house was rudely awakened by a loud stampede caused by a few stray tanks who decided to finish their earlier pursuit of obliterating the Team. They were easily taken care of, but the side of the Logan's barn was destroyed and with a few of the animals residing inside either injured or in shock.

Marie quickly ushered Garfield into the house and asked if the Team was going to follow, but naturally Kaldur or Aqualad politely declined, seeing that they now had a mission to complete before more Bialyan troops decided to come back and put the Logans in more danger than they already were in. It was past midnight, so it was a perfect time to sneak into Bialyan territory and finish off Queen Bee's ill-willed plans. Robin was dying for some action already, he couldn't sleep a wink with Siobhan muttering her sleep. As entertaining it was to string together her nonsensical words, some of them were quite disturbing.

If it weren't for Aqualad's orders to head out immediately, he was sure that something really awkward would have happened then. Now, Robin would occasionally catch Siobhan looking at him. He wasn't sure what she was thinking, but she wasn't angry, just out of it. Anyways, he'd smirk and she'd almost instantly return to reality and turn away before her cheeks went pink.

As the Bioship took them deeper and deeper into Bialyan territory, the Boy Wonder became aware of the really weird look his best friend was giving him. It seemed harmless, but knowing Wally, he was probably cooking up a plan that was going to eventually backfire on him. That or he was looking at the wrong person, since Artemis was sitting on the other side of the ship.

(Bialya, April 15, 2012. 1:23 a.m)

Stargazing use to be a favorable pastime for Siobhan . . . until the Board of Directors at Arkham decided for her and Ivy to switch cells with Killer Croc. His window didn't have a picturesque view of the night sky, instead she got a view of the search light tower in the East quadrant. But that was two years ago, now she could admire Orion and Taurus without having bothersome obstacles get in her way as well as rekindling her appreciation for the stars. A gentle tap on her shoulder startled her from her thoughts and Shiv turned around.

"So . . . Shivette," Artemis began slyly. "You and Robin? What's going on?" There was an expectant tone in the archer's words and a knowing look in her eye. Shiv quickly had a feeling that she should be withering under the older girl's stare until Artemis's words finally sunk in.

"W-what are you talking about," she sputtered. What's going on? Between herself and Robin? Only that she was stark raving mad at the fact that he managed to get under her skin two times in a row, but that probably wasn't what Artemis had meant . . .

"Nothing," Shiv hissed quietly. Robin may be the Batman's protégé, but when it came to joking around, he had no tact. On the other hand, he had no qualms about talking to her, whether it be pointless bantering or soul-bearing conversations. Actually, why am I trying to reason with myself, Siobhan thought, as Artemis grinned harder. I like him as a friend only.

Shiv glared at Artemis, so now she was in cahoots with Wally as well. "Figure it out yet," Artemis whispered smugly.

What conclusion was she supposed to come to? "I don't like-" Shiv said a bit too loudly. The others on board turned to her, waiting for Shiv to complete her statement. She especially noticed Kid and Robin focusing their attention on her, sniggering like ten year olds. " . . . cake," she finished weakly. Behind her, Artemis chuckled, "We're so going to talk later."

The sooner the mission started, the sooner Shiv could take her mind off the confusion by hitting something. The Bioship hovered just about six yards from the ground, waiting for Miss Martian to will the exit hatch to open. But at the moment, the passengers were busy checking their equipment and switching to their stealth tech. Like her, Superboy was tapping his foot impatiently for the process to hurry up, albeit calmer than she was.

She looked around and caught Robin's eye, he smirked wickedly for a brief second and returned to adjusting his utility belt. "Tchh," The short conversation with Artemis was making her just a bit edgier than normal. Once the hatch opened, they all dropped onto the desert sand and began snooping around for an entrance to compound below. Just when the Team was about to move to another location, Kid pulled up a shrub from the ground that covered a shiny metal door.

"Look, an entrance," he announced proudly. A second later, he was brutally tackled down by Robin as the metal doors twisted open and a large ion laser cannon shot up. Before it could fire, Aqualad dismantled it with a quick slice from his water-bearers. "That was definitely not a door, dude," Robin got off of his friend and dusted himself off. He activated his glove computer and was about to scan the wreckage when Superboy pushed him out of the way.

With a tug on the base of the contraption, he uprooted the remains of laser and tossed it as far as he could from the Team. "There," he said. A hole large enough to fit one person leaded into the underground base itself was created in it place. "Miss Martian, establish a link," Aqualad asked. A moment afterwards, he leaped in through the hole and quickly searched around to check if the coast was clear. Once the he gave a signal to the Team for them to join him, they hastily tumbled in one by one and rejoined Aqualad at the bottom.

(Bialya, April 15, 2012. 1:56 a.m)

Robin made short work of the base's communication and defense system, taking extra care to disable all motion sensors and looping the security cameras's feed. At least Psimon was still in the coma Miss Martian put him in a year ago, that meant there was one less bad guy to take down. _"We split into two Teams. Miss Martian and Superboy, you will go with Robin and Shiv. Take the West wing. Rocket, Kid, Artemis, and I will investigate the East wing. Go!"_

Each team quietly dispersed towards their given destinations, and Superboy and Robin took cover behind a few crates while Miss Martian and Shiv floated high above to warn them of any danger. "_So where are we going," _Superboy asked. Beside him, Robin hurriedly checked over the blueprints of the base which he managed to obtain by hacking the base's system.

_"We go down, there's something big below us."_ He scrambled over to the door of the nearest stairwell and kicked it down, forgoing all the rules of stealth Batman instilled in him. There was no one in sight anyways and he was going to put it back on its hinges afterwards. The four made their way down seventeen flights of stairs when Superboy's sensitive hearing picked up on something.

"Someone's following us," he growled. Robin looked around him and then up, there was no one, but Superboy was insistent that someone was there. "I'll flush them out," Shiv muttered as a disembodied voice. A thick mist emerged from out of nowhere, expanding until it looked like it reached the top of the stairwell. _"I see him,"_ Shiv said.

A dull groan of pain echoed down to where the four where and was then followed by a loud thud. When they turned to continue their journey, a large ball of fire flew towards them and barely missed Miss Martian. Shocked, the girl de-camouflaged and lost control of her flight, falling into Superboy's arms. _"I got you, M'Gann."_

_"Thanks, Conner."_

Though angry, Superboy kept his calm and let Shiv and Robin take over. A fist-fight between Superboy against anybody wouldn't be a good idea right now since they were in an enclosed space with nowhere to run but down. "Aim thirty-two degrees to your left," Robin said. Shiv pointed her hand at to the far left and discharged a sweeping beam, but a blast of fire countered her hit.

"You three go on ahead, I'll finish this and catch up," she said.

"But-" Miss Martian began. She ducked down when a fireball managed to get pass Shiv, and at the moment, Superboy looked ready to crush something. "Ice beats fire, go!" With that, Shiv pushed Robin over to Superboy and cut them all out from her impending battle. "Let's go," the Krpytonian shouted.

Miss Martian looked through the ice one last time, before a particularly vicious blast cracked the solidified water panels. "Don't worry, she's Shiv. She can handle it," Robin reassured. They continued their descent with Robin acting as their guide. According to the Boy Wonder, they were now thirty-one floors down and nowhere near their target. Just when Superboy was about to suggest a detour, a few small shards of ice fell from above, then jagged pieces as big as boulders rained down, destroying the stairs above them.

Along with the sudden hail, two bodies crackling with energy fell past them. Robin could make barely make out Shiv's silhouette inside a cold, blue-white glow as she fell passed the floor he and the others were now stranded on. He counted, twelve seconds before an impact was made, the resulting crash created a brilliant show of lights before the smoke and dust settled in.

"Through the door," he said. Superboy quickly took care of the locked door problem and ushered Miss Martian and Robin inside. There, they ducked behind a few large, wooden crates as Robin quickly scanned the perimeter. "There's an elevator shaft not far from here, but it's not going to be easy to get to it," he informed.

"Try me," Superboy said, smirking. He jumped out their hiding place and ambushed the nearby guards, giving Miss Martian and Robin enough time to run over and force the elevator doors to open. Robin took care of the men who were attempting to sneak up on Superboy with tasers while Miss Martian cleared the corridors of the contingents of guards that were arriving.

"Ready," Robin asked when the coast was clear again.

"Yeah," Superboy replied lamely.

Unlike Robin, who had his grappling gun and Miss Martian, who could fly, Superboy opted to plummet downwards and land wherever the next flat surface may be: a incoming lift going up. Miss Martian hastily pried the nearest door open and jumped through it along with Robin to avoid getting crushed by the metal box, Superboy crash-landing a few moments later he jumped from the top as the lift passed the opening.

(Bialya, April 15, 2012. 2:42 a.m)

While Robin and Miss Martian were relatively comfortable tunneling through the vents, Superboy grumbled and tried his hardest not to make his discomfort even more clear than it already was. It was simple, he just found them entirely too small to move around in. Obviously, because he didn't exactly have a small body build like Robin and Miss Martian. But the Boy Wonder insisted that they take to the vents because it would be safer to move about around the vents than in plain sight.

Suddenly, Miss Martian swooned and clutched her head. "Something's . . . wrong," she muttered. "I can't feel Aqualad or Rocket anymore."

Immediately, Robin rounded on the Martian girl. "What about Kid and the others?"

She looked up worriedly and clenched her fists. "They're fine. I can feel them, but not Shiv. I lost contact with her at the same time with Aqualad and Rocket."

Superboy crawled ahead, despite Miss Martian's apparent distress. "We can't do anything for them right now. How many floors left," he asked.

Robin checked his computer and to his relief, he answered back with a single digit number. "Nine." They continued on, with Miss Martian gradually calming down and checking in with Kid and Artemis to find out where they were and how they were doing. Kid and Artemis was distraught to find out that Aqualad and Rocket were possibly captured, and at the same time, revealed that Mammoth was the one they were fighting the last time they saw them.

_"How soon can you guys meet up with us,"_ Robin asked.

_"As soon as we take care of some business,"_ Artemis replied sharply. _  
><em>

The farther the vents went down, the colder it got. As the only human in a team with a Kryptonian and Martian, Robin was the most susceptible to the sudden temperature drop. Already, he was losing the feeling in his fingers and legs, and technically, he knew who he should blame. It felt like the time he went skiing with Bruce and ended up marooned on a ski lift. Of course, he was only ten at the time and Bruce was still training him.

When this was all over, Shiv was going to owe him a lot of hot chocolate, assuming she was alright. He just hoped that she would be alive when he contradicted the last statement she made the last time he saw her. As far as Robin was concerned, ice definitely does not beat fire, which was half the reason he was bit worried about her. Who was he kidding?

Robin was more than just a bit worried, Batman would get on his case like faster than Wally would if anything happened to Siobhan. He was suppose to keep an eye out for her since she was technically . . . a con and because Batman stuck his neck out for her, a con from Arkham. Batman didn't like do anything for free, being that he and Siobhan had a secret agreement that she'd join the Team and fight for the Justice League's cause in exchange for Batman not returning her back to the asylum. To anyone else, that sounded a lot like blackmail, but it was just how Batman did business.

"I want the cargo moved right now. That means no slacking, Mammoth. And Devastation, could you please hurry up with the system check up," a voice drawled. There was some incoherent shouting followed a loud crash. This guy was obviously new to the bad guy game if he was ordering those two around like that, Robin thought gleefully. Wait, cargo?

"This is not good, not good at all," Robin muttered. He scrambled ahead to remove the exit grate and peered down to see if the coast was clear. Once he made sure, Robin carefully made his way down by using his grappling gun and strategically hid himself near what he assumed was the computer control. Miss Martian and Superboy signaled over to him and hid themselves in different corners of the base. Robin could clearly see Shiv, who was still emitting that white glow even though she was unconscious, and trapped in an energy field by several red discs to boot. Apokoliptic tech, he thought irately. This was not good.

Beside her was Aqualad and Rocket, who were also unconscious and trapped in their individual energy prison. They didn't seem affected at all by the excess energy Shiv was letting off. "Lucky," Robin rubbed the exposed parts of his arms, even his cape didn't seem to do him any good.

In contrast to the freezing cold, the opponent Shiv was fighting earlier was acting as some sort of furnace, keeping Mammoth and Devastation from freezing to their deaths by emitting his own fiery glow. He didn't look any older than sixteen and was dressed from head to toe in a Bialyan military uniform, nevertheless, Robin was sorely reminded of Andrew Barnett by the way he carried himself.

"Systems check complete, this baby's ready to fire," Devastation declared. She bowed mockingly and backed away as the teen made his way up to the controls, leaving a trail of slightly melted ice behind him. While Mammoth was busy unloaded crates from a cargo plane, Robin could see Miss Martian in camouflage mode flying over to Rocket and parting her energy field. Superboy was sneaking behind the crates Mammoth had unloaded, quietly making his way towards the giant monster without creating an incident.

Suddenly, Miss Martian de-camouflaged and flew out of the way before a stream of fire could hit her. Although Rocket was unharmed, the red energy field surrounding her was closed again. "I was wondering when you all would show up and rescue your friends," a lilting voice drawled. Devastation and her 'friend' turned their attention towards Miss Martian, leaving their computer systems unguarded.

A mischievous grin crept on Robin's face as he crept over to the large computer and started hacking. "Easier than the Batcave's system," he muttered happily. A few clicks here and there and the Boy Wonder found what he was looking for: the launch sequence for what seemed to be a nuclear missile cannon that was stored right under them. Without sparing a second thought, he proceeded to sabotage the launch system when all of a sudden, a throwing knife landed where his hand had just been second ago.

"Your friend was really fond of knives too. In fact, she left me a collection, over her~~" Robin jumped out of the way before crystal clear hunting knife found its way into the computer screen. He plucked it from the glass and hurled it back towards the thrower, who engulfed it in a ball of fire before it could hit him. "You must be Robin, a pleasure. I'm Oswald," he said jauntily.

"Never had a bad guy do an intro like that before, but alright," Robin mused as he dodged another hunting knife. From his utility belt, he produced four smoke pellets and hurled them at Oswald. The boy didn't even try to avoid them and watched with mild fascination as the pellets exploded, enveloping him in a dense black haze.

Miss Martian and Superboy were engaged in battle with Mammoth and Devastation, and both were trying their best to either knock out or immobilize their respective opponents. With them occupied, Robin had about a minute and a half before the smoke cleared and Oswald could attack him again. He sprinted over to Rocket and set to freeing her by matching the frequency of her energy prison and then picking the lock of the cuffs that bound her hands together. Once she was released, he moved onto Aqualad and repeated the same process before he heard a 'whooshing' noise behind him.

Robin whipped out a Batarang to deflect the incoming projectile before it hit him or Aqualad. "Batman trained you well," Oswald emerged from the smoke, his fire extinguished and what looked like the last of his collection of Shiv's 'creations'. But before he could throw them, a shimmering purple bubble erupted around him and Rocket ran over to take care of Aqualad's cuffs.

"Get Shiv, I'll take care of this guy," she urged. Robin braved the freezing cold and took down energy discs before proceeding to unlock the cuffs. By accident, his hand brushed over a patch of Shiv's skin and immediately her eyes snapped open. She raised her freed hand and was prepared to backhand Robin until she realized who touched her at the last moment.

"Sorry," she said quietly. The flickering glow around her fizzled out and she cracked her knuckles. "When did you get here?"

(Bialya, April 15, 2012. 3:46 a.m)

After crashing down fifty flights of stairs and getting caught up in Aqualad and Rocket's fight with Mammoth and Devastation, who joined in later on, Shiv along with the two mentioned before were brutally overpowered by three super villains and rendered unconscious. Just to cause some trouble to her captors and keep them from harming Aqualad and Rocket or herself, Shiv let her power run amuck and unconsciously controlled it from letting it affect her Teammates.

Though she wasn't exactly happy to see Robin again, she was glad to be able to move again. In an hour or so, she was going to feel the strain from overusing what little power she had left, but that was alright as long as she finished up some business with Devastation. Shiv ruffled Robin's hair and headed over to where Devastation was, and waited until she leaped up into the air before she made her move.

A tall pillar of ice rose from the ground and stood firm until Devastation slammed into it face-first with a satisfactory _crack._ Despite the circumstance, Miss Martian giggled before lifting the villainess up into the air again and sending her flying into Mammoth. Aqualad silently thanked the Martian girl and was about to attack again with his water-bearers when a relatively small cyclone swept Mammoth and Devastation off their feet and hurled them back in the air. Then a rain of trick arrows shot from behind were sucked up by the swirling vortex and detonated with a muffled 'bang'.

Suddenly, a familiar red and yellow blur raced out from the cyclone and stopped right between Superboy and Aqualad, at the same time, dropping Mammoth and Devastation, who were engulfed in a heap of high-density polyurethane foam. "Teamwork, aw yeah," Kid crowed. He stepped around his two male teammates and did something akin to a victory dance before he looked over to where Robin was.

"Dude, I'm coming for you," he shouted. Artemis rolled her eyes before she loaded her crossbow and took aim at the one person who wasn't either Rocket or Robin. The bolt was released, but unfortunately, a burst of fire intercepted it and turned the arrow in a puddle of molten slag. While Artemis reloaded her bow, Aqualad turned towards Shiv. "There is an underground spring not far below us, are you thinking what I'm thinking," he asked with a faint smile.

"Of course, you may proceed," Shiv signaled Miss Martian and Kid to move, Superboy and Artemis had already gotten wind of what their team leader was planning via telepathic link and were quick to create a gaping hole in the cavern ceiling. Aqualad punctured the ground with his water-bearers, the black tattoos on his arms glowing, and let forth a wave of rushing water. Miss Martian and Kid swooped down to grab Robin and Rocket with Kid reaching for the wrong hero though.

(Bialya, April 15, 2012. 4:08 a.m)

"Aw come on, Kid groaned. He had meant to grab Rocket, but instead scooped his best friend up in a princess carry. "I'm not happy about this too," Robin deadpanned. The moment Kid's feet had landed on higher ground was the moment he dropped Robin like a sack of potatoes. "Not cool dude, not cool," Robin picked himself up and brushed some non-existent dirt off his costume as Kid watched Aqualad divert the wave to Oswald, quenching his fire, and send shockwaves through the liquid. The result was immediate, with Oswald electrocuted to the point of being unconscious, he was too weak to stop Shiv from freezing him in a solid lake of ice.

Once the ice and mist subsided, Aquqlad and Shiv made their way up to the platform where the rest of the Team was and surveyed the damage. Robin didn't need to scan his computer to know that the nuclear missile cannon was more than just damaged from the uplift of water and his partial sabotage of its control system. "We'll go back to the Logan's tonight and report to Batman and the Cave tomorrow morning," Aqualad suggested. Everybody agreed and turned to head back up when a bloodcurdling cackle stopped everybody in their tracks.

"Oh man, you guys really think you 'completed' your mission?" A barely conscious Oswald snorted in derision and twisted his head over to the computer control. "Override 142Aris91732, self-destruct activate."

_"Self-destruct sequence activated, lock down procedure activated. Five minutes and counting."_

Above where the Team was, soldiers and guards alike were scrambling around to look for an exit that hasn't been sealed yet. "We should go now," Superboy shouted above the chaos. But Aqualad stopped him.

"Robin, see if you can defuse the bomb." But the Boy Wonder knew better than to do that, he hacked into the security systems once more and delve into its files to see what he was looking for, and he was not exactly thrilled with what he found. "I can't, there is no bomb here. It's the nuclear cannon that's gonna explode!"

"Great, so you're us that in five minutes we're gonna go up in a mushroom cloud," Artemis was beside herself, obviously the fact that she and her friends were fifty floors below the surface with an unstable radioactive 'bomb' on the verge of exploding was more than enough to make her panic.

_"Four minutes and sixteen seconds."_

Aqualad paused to make his final decision. "Shiv, free him from the ice. Superboy, Miss Martian, and Rocket, take Devastation and Mammoth to safety. Kid and I will gather the men here and escort them out. Artemis, Robin, and Shiv, be careful."

_"Three minutes and fourty-two seconds."_

Nobody had time to challenge Aqualad, Miss Martian and Rocket lifted the mountain of polyurethane foam up and Superboy wasted no time in creating a pathway out. Shiv waved her hand and a chunk of ice holding Oswald severed itself from the main body. Another chunk separated from the crater left in Oswald's place to serve as a platform lift for the three. Robin and Artemis were in charge of creating their own way out, seeing that the hole Superboy left in his wake was slowing collapsing on itself. On the way out, they picked up people who strayed from Aqualad and Kid's guidance.

Twenty-five floors up and Shiv suddenly sank to her knees. Artemis almost lowered her bow to rush over to her aid, but Robin suggested otherwise, they were halfway through and Shiv wasn't going to give up in such a dire situation. What was alarming though was that the platform was dropping in speed and Robin quickly calculated that if they don't do something to speed up, they'd be trapped in what was to be a colossal explosion and Kid wasn't helping at all with him constantly asking if they were out yet. "Shiv, come on," Robin urged.

_"One minute and thirty seconds."_

Shiv groaned weakly and put both her hands on the platform, the brilliant cold glow mixing with the moisture in the air was pushing the platform as fast as it could go. One of the injured men lying on the platform encouraged them to continue on, but it didn't seem like they would make it with sixteen floors to go and almost fifty seconds left. All Robin could think of was the lecture he was going to to get from Batman about close-calls and reminders of similar situations. "I'm almost out of arrows," Artemis yelled.

Robin grimaced, he too was running out of Batrangs and with just seven floor to go. "Y-you guys, hold . . . hold on," Shiv clenched her hands on the surface of platform and took a deep breath, the glow around her condensing into a thick mist and solidifying into a dome above them. Robin, Artemis, and the guards held for dear life when the platform suddenly lurched and sped up. They were going at a second and half per floor now, something that was comforting to Robin's eyes. Artemis and the others could only marvel at the sound of the dome crashing through the ceilings as they watched the lights flicker with each passing floor.

But Shiv looked worse for wear as she put the remainder of her strength into punching through the reinforced cavern ceiling.

_"Four."_

_"Three."_

_"Two."_

_"One."_

The base was destroyed, but Shiv managed to push them far enough aside to avoid damage to the dome and everyone inside of it. Robin instantly calculated the speed the chunk of ice was going at and automatically came to the conclusion that they were going to crash land. He grabbed the weakened Shiv and tucked her head under his chin, ignoring the bone-chilling sensation of coming in contact with the glow around her. Artemis huddled close to them as well, and the guards all held onto the unconscious Oswald, who was latched onto the surface of platform. But they never crashed.

_"I got you guys,"_ Miss Martian reassured.

"_Hang on," _Rocket added.

Artemis let out a relieved sigh as the platform safely landed on the sand dunes below and helped Robin readjust Shiv before she collapsed from exhaustion. But the girl gently pushed them both away and hunched over. "Get off me," she wheezed lightheartedly. Artemis immediately let go of Shiv and smirked at Robin when he didn't do the same. Once they landed, the Boy Wonder suddenly turned a blind eye to all the attention he suddenly garnered from the Bialyan guards and his team alike and helped Shiv stand up. When She wouldn't budge, Robin slung her over his back and carried her over to the Bioship where Miss Martian and Aqualad were.

"I could've walked by myself," she murmured as he set her down gently. Robin chose to ignore the way she was glaring at him and focused on keeping Siobhan from fainting.

"At least he didn't throw you," Kid grinned at him impishly before passing by with a first aid kit from the Bioship. Robin shot a dirty look at his best friend While the injured were being tended by Rocket and Artemis, Aqualad chided Shiv about unnecessary risks. "Next time, worry about yourself first. We can take care of ourselves too," he said kindly.

(Qurac, April 15, 2012 8:19 a.m)

The League was contacted by Aqualad and were sending some its members on a 'real' recon mission because the Team had misinterpreted the meaning of reconnaissance by blowing Queen Bee's base sky high. And at the moment, the dictator of Bialya was avoiding the press, preferring to let her Parliament handle the questions and demands made by the U.N. As a result, the Team didn't get that much of a lecture from the Batman via video link.

Siobhan looked down at her hands, pale and almost translucent enough that she could see the veins underneath her skin. Once in a while, her vision would fade out or her hands would suddenly start trembling. It wasn't that big of a task to hide it from her Teammates, but it certainly felt like jutting a knife through herself every time she did. Siobhan needed no reminders of why she needed to lie to her teammates-friends-and because some of them like Artemis and Kid were still shaken from the whole ordeal, Siobhan thought it would be best to keep her problems to herself. But it certainly felt wrong.

Before they departed the next morning for the Cave, Marie Logan treated the whole Team to breakfast. Although Siobhan didn't exactly like bacon, she ate it because it was piping hot and avoided anything that was cold, like orange juice. Two plates of steaming hot pancakes later, she regained the feeling in her fingers. And because it was partly their fault, the Team stayed behind just a while longer to help Marie fix her barn.

"Could you pass the hammer, Shivette?" Siobhan put down the saw to reach for the toolbox. She was sure Superboy had put it back in there just a moment ago, but all there was in the box were screws and bolts.

"Uh . . . to your left." Of course, it was sitting on the stack of boards she did not saw yet.

"Thanks," Robin said when she passed it over to him. Just when he was about to turn and leave, he produced something black from behind and presented it to her. "Found this behind some hay, thought you'd want it back," he said quietly. Siobhan glanced at it suspiciously and took it from him. It was her cloak that she had left with the Oryx yesterday. Fortunately, it escaped before the wooden roof collapsed and was found sleeping behind Marie's car the following morning.

"Thank you," Siobhan said wryly. She fastened it onto her shoulders and smiled at Robin . . . who instantly smirked in return. This . . . little, Siobhan bit her tongue and looked away, least she say something stupid and end up having her words thrown back in her face.

"Aw, thank you, Conner." Siobhan and the rest of the Team quickly turned to look at Megan, who was about inhale the scent of a small wildflower before Garfield called out, "Don't! It's poisoned sumac!" The Team looked away before Conner could glare at them, but they were indiscreetly grinning at the Boy of Steel's embarrassment. After all, it was very rare to see Superboy get flustered over something so . . . ordinary. While Conner stalked off to get another, non-lethal flower, Robin bent down to pick a wild dandelion.

Siobhan wasn't sure if she should happy or insulted when he offered the blossom to her. Not wanting to cause anymore conflict between them, Siobhan took it and tucked it behind his ear. "There, much better," She stifled a laugh threatening to burst out to bend down and pick another one. But Robin disappeared before she could actually give it to him as a peace offering because she just wanted to clear the awkwardness that happened last night. But at least he was gone now. Smiling, Siobhan fixed the dandelion into her own hair-no point in wasting a perfectly good picked flower- before picking up her saw again.

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji: <strong>Legs . . . so sore. I just wanted to finish this chapter before the second week of Band Camp. Don't worry, the next chapter will be tons better with all the fluff and stuff I can muster. But the crappy internet connection at my school has like a ton of filters DX I hope Robin wasn't too OOC, but I just wanted to try writing a chapter with 3/4 of it as Robin's POV ***fail* **Thx for reading, until next time~ Review~


	14. Chapter 14

**Shitz-Suji:** Sorry I haven't updated for so long. Just got caught up with work and stuff. Enjoy~

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><p>(Gotham Academy, May 11, 2012. 11:27 a.m)<p>

Gotham Academy's chefs' lunches were admittedly good, though it was not on par with M'Gann's culinary creations. As Siobhan mutilated the piece of brownie on her tray, she glanced at the ugly bruises on her arms she recently acquired from a mission. Though cleverly concealed by a thin layer of cosmetics and the sleeves of Siobhan's blazer, it did not make the dull aches go away.

A normal human her age would have succumbed to the pain and stayed home or something along those lines. But Siobhan had her enhanced immune system to thank, especially after enduring a couple rounds of the Brain's plasma grenades. Still, having an inhibitor collar slapped around her neck by a gorilla was humiliating, and to add insult to injury, that same gorilla used her unconscious body to lure her teammates into a trap that almost rendered them as live experiments for the Brain's biomedical research.

If it weren't for Superboy and his resilient Kryptonian DNA, Siobhan doubt she would be sitting here, enjoying the remains of what used to be a fudge brownie. And even that was beginning to remind the girl of the puddle of mud that gorilla had dumped her in during his skirmish with Superboy and Aqualad.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, freak."

Siobhan lazily raised her head and came face to face with Catherine Charles and her posse of equally dim-witted and vain girls. She waved her fork at them and asked, "What can I do for you ladies?"

"Get lost," Catherine ordered.

She and her group must have been cavorting with the football players again for too long, and in the process, lost their usual table to the cheerleaders. Usually, Catherine would have ended up bullying a random club or clique into giving up their table, but after Dick left for Florida for the Math Olympics a week ago and Barbara absent because of a cold, she had taken to Siobhan's hangout because nobody was left to stand by her.

"Please go bother someone who actually cares, like your neanderthal of a 'boyfriend' Andrew," Siobhan said dismissively.

A few girls behind Catherine gasped in surprise while a few others sent murderous glare her way. Feeling particularly nasty today, Siobhan turned to them, face betraying no hint of the contempt she held for them. "Spare me the dramatics, half of you are vying for that oaf's attention behind this airhead's," she gestured at Catherine, "back."

Seconds later, a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy mysteriously found its way onto Siobhan's head from behind.

(Gotham Academy, May 11, 2012. 4:15 p.m)

Through sheer will alone, Siobhan managed to not exact her vengeance on each and everyone of those girls who laughed at her. She even took the Dean's lecture in stride even after Catherine lied through her teeth about intentionally inflicting second-degree burns on another student. After the Dean gave her a pat on the back and another small lecture about being careful, she was ushered back to class, still reeking of stale mashed potatoes and gravy.

French went by without incident. Without Dick Grayson next to her, bombarding her with question after question, it was oddly quiet. After a short practice session, Siobhan walked out the Performing Arts building and caught her eye on a familiar couple. Catherine Charles and Andrew Barnett were engaged in a fervent exchange of saliva and they seemed to be oblivious to anything else besides each other. To anyone else, they looked like they were _eating_ each other. _Ew._

Suddenly, the blonde looked up and at her, a smug sneer on her swollen lips. "Jealous, freak?" Andrew smirked over at her before returning his attention back to Catherine. Mildly disgusted, Siobhan walked on, ignoring the looks of passing students as they stared at the cloudy white and brown stains on the back of her blazer and head.

All she needed at the moment was a shower before she felt like tearing the rigid chunks of hair that were glued together by mashed potatoes out. Thus, despite of Black Canary's warning of not using her powers in her civilian life, Siobhan slipped into an empty alley and vaporized herself to the telephone both. With everyone else busy with their after school activities, she had the whole Cave to herself.

"Perfect," she muttered. Siobhan headed towards her room to collect a change of clothes, instead she found her closet empty save for a blue dress and the oversized shirt and shorts she used as pajamas. Oh, yes . . . it wasn't laundry day yet.

Siobhan didn't know how, but the residents of the Cave who didn't own organic clothing had to take their dirty laundry to a hatch and dump all of it there. One or two days later, they would be returned to their respective owner's rooms in neat, folded stacks. There was no laundry room in the Cave and it would be laughable if the League did the Team's laundry personally, though Siobhan doubted it.

In any case, the only clothes available for practical use at the moment were the ones she was wearing, aside from the ruined blazer. The only other solution was to go out and buy some clothes, some more _durable _clothes. The ones Raquel insisted on her buying were soft and comfortable, but pulled on too hard or a blast from a laser and Siobhan found herself scrambling for the nearest restroom to cover herself.

But first, the shower.

The mess glued to her hair was completely washed out and no longer did the stink of molding gravy cling to her skin. As the water rained down, so did the troubles of the day and the layer of chemicals on her arms. What use to be an expanse of interesting shades of purple and green coloring coloring white was now some sort of colorful suntan.

"Shame, I could use a trim," Siobhan pulled back a hank of the tangled locks and pulled her fingers through it, removing the knots and twisted ends until her hair was more or less manageable again. What use to only reach the nape of her neck now hung in curtains, barely touching her shoulders.

Now, all that was left was to buy some clothes so she did not end up wearing her uniform throughout the weekend.

(Gotham City, May 11, 2012. 4:56 p.m)

It was a beautiful evening where the people walking along the sidewalks seemed to be heading for a night out. Along the way, the gas lamps were being lit as the sky began to darken, eventually lighting the streets of Downtown Gotham in a cozy glow.

Meanwhile, Siobhan scoured the shops for to wear for everyday occasions. She spent a good amount of time ogling the beautiful formal gowns on display in the front windows, sparking ideas in her head that would probably end up with more than a dozen ice sculptures as models crammed into her room.

It was something to simply distract her from the fact that she couldn't find anything to wear. In the past hour and a half, Siobhan discovered she looked terrible in flower prints, the colors orange and light blue. Store managers didn't take her seriously because she appeared as a teenage girl in a semi-ruined uniform ensemble until she flashed the card Batman gave her.

And even then, they suggested only the most eccentric items in the store, electric yellow pants that looked five sizes too small for her, a neon pink shirt with a plunging neckline. Just how old did they think she really was?

What she was looking for was something practical, she didn't care if it was the the latest trend, just as long as it provided some kind of cover for her. Her problem was half answered at the next shop she went in. The store manager was a calm, middle-age woman, a relief from the rabid, color crazy women who had been playing dress up with her for the past two hours.

Finally, a store that didn't look like the color palette vomited all over it. Muted shades of grey and white twisted along the walls in an elaborate pattern, white marble tiled the floors, and the whole place was lit up by four silver futuristic-looking chandeliers hung in each corner.

"Would you like some assistance," the store manager asked.

"No thank you," Siobhan waved the woman away and shifted through the nearest rack of clothes. They weren't too bad, Siobhan favored a light cream-colored dress with a floaty skirt. It was a pleasant change from the monochromatic color scheme her wardrobe had. The neckline was up to her throat, the collar was clasped by three brass buttons from behind while the back was low cut, exposing her skin.

Though she wanted to buy slacks and a dress shirt, the dress was too good to pass up. In addition, the process of looking for clothing seemed tedious and exhausting, so it will have to do for now.

In the end, she ripped off the price tag from the garment and handed it to the clerk, who suggested that she'd buy a pair of matching shoes. A pair of black shoes resembling the kind that Siobhan wore for dance practice was rung up and the girl exited the store with her ruined uniform in a bag.

(Gotham City, May 11, 2012. 6:21 p.m)

"This guy!" Dick winced when the senior vice president clapped him on the back. "This guy brought back the gold this year! How 'bout three cheers for Dick Grayson?!"

"Hip, hip, hooray!"

"Hip, hip, hooray!"

"Hip, hip, hooray!"

The Mathletes weren't exactly in a pizza parlor, instead, they were celebrating their recent win and return to Gotham with a lavish dinner at one of Gotham's most exclusive French restaurants. While Dick settled on eating at home, everyone else ordered the most expensive dishes . . . all paid by none other than Bruce Wayne.

Suddenly, the man was dragged up and in front of about twenty students and their parents and thanked by the vice president as his ward shuffled around awkwardly, waiting to be left alone so he could eat.

"How about this guy who's paying for my dinner?!"

Another round of cheering erupted from their table as the other patrons looked on in amazement at how the children weren't kicked out yet. At the same time, Bruce looked like he was at a lost of what to do. But fortunately, he was released and permitted to go back to his seat.

Dick was busy between chatting with his fellow Mathletes and texting Wally back. Amazingly, he had gotten wind of Gotham Academy's win even before Artemis had, and prepared a special surprise for Robin when he arrived at the Cave tomorrow. Already, it sounded like a round of hardcore video games served alongside a can of butt-whoop.

Well, Robin couldn't wait until he returned to the world of heart-racing trips around the world, fighting bad guys with his friends. After ending the electronic conversation with a promise that he'd take a look at Wally's new souvenir, Dick joined in on the celebration with his friends.

(Gotham City, May 11, 2012. 8:02 p.m)

One wrong turn and Siobhan found herself on a deserted street. Ritzy, but deserted. Sleek cars lined the paved road as their owners were inside dimly lighted restaurants or shops, shopping or eating food that probably cost more than the tuition fee at the Academy. Occasionally, a couple would walk by, glance sympathetically at her attire and giggle. It didn't take very long for one of them to ask if she was stood up by someone, whatever that meant.

At the corner of the street was a bus stop. There was map nailed to a light pole to identify where she was at the moment, and when she did, Siobhan's heart did a double take. How in the world did she end up in West Gotham? The walk back to the Cave would take more three hours and at little longer since trouble was likely to show up along the way.

Likewise, Siobhan would have to take the bus if she didn't want to walk or mist off. Indeed, she should have purchased the shirt and slacks, as pretty as the dress was, it offered little to no protection from the elements.

"What a nice way to spend a Friday evening," she muttered sarcastically.

It would take another thirty minutes before the bus arrived, so she would just have to deal with her situation until then. All of a sudden, a car screeched sharply as it turned around the corner, nearly spooking the daylights out of Siobhan. A quarters way through the street, the car grounded to a halt and someone stepped out.

"Siobhan," a whimsically familiar voice called out.

That someone was running towards her, the heels of his assumably expensive shoes clicking on the pavement. Neat black hair and blue eyes, yes indeed it was Richard Grayson.

"Richard . . . what an unexpected . . . surprise," Siobhan greeted weakly. Meeting ones classmate alone on a street did not sound right, especially when it was so late at night and one of them was irritated beyond belief.

"What-What are you doing here," Richard replied, breathless.

A good guess would be that blurting out 'trying to figure out how the bus system worked' would be a terrible idea and Siobhan didn't want to explain to her friend how she came to be on the expensively stylish end of Gotham. "I got lost," she admitted.

Richard raised an eyebrow and winced, he obviously did not believe her. "Need some help," he teased.

"No thank y-" The car parked in the middle of road screeched again as it took off, leaving Richard to stare blankly as the tail lights disappeared around the other corner. "Y-Your ride, i-it just left you," Siobhan pointed out in disbelief and waited for Richard to say something.

"Yeah, Bruce does it all the time," He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the combed back strands and grinned.

All the time? Bruce Wayne left his ward stranded in the middle of nowhere all the time? And Richard acted like it was nothing out of the ordinary. Siobhan was sure that this was not the parental relationship between a guardian and his ward.

"B-But how are you supposed to get-"

"I walk."

"What?" The simple response coupled with the gaping mouth was sure to make Siobhan look like an idiot. All she needed was some drool to leak out and the picture would be complete. But then her intelligent side kicked in and she handed her cellphone to Richard. "Call him back," she said sternly.

"It's alrigh-"

"I insist."

"It's fine, really," Richard pushed the phone out of his face and took a step back. "I wanted him to."

It took longer than a moment to process what Richard had said and another to formulate a response. "Why?"

"Because when I get home, I have homework from all the classes I missed, remember," Richard asked, grinning. He suddenly grabbed Siobhan's wrist and pulled her in the other direction, laughing. Although she was a bit peeved at being used as a scapegoat, she kept quiet and let her friend drag her along to wherever it may be.

Siobhan didn't realize until they reached the stop light that Richard's hold on her wrist had slipped down to her hand. When was the last time her hand was locked with somebody else's? She thought back a little and it was approximately was six years ago, when she rescued a little boy from a kidnapper in the slums.

"Oh . . . sorry," Richard said sheepishly. She turned away from to pretend like she didn't exactly care nor was she blushing, and snorted, but the effect was ruined at how she didn't pull away.

(Gotham City, May 11, 2012. 8:41 p.m)

Originally, the plan called for Dick to return to Wayne Manor and watch some T.V, eat, maybe even do some homework. He wasn't lying about the homework, a week's worth of missed assignments were sitting on top of his desk, courtesy of Alfred.

But when he saw a girl slumped against a bus bench, he readily asked Bruce to stop the black lamborghini and stepped out. It wasn't like he saw at first that she was Siobhan, nevertheless, if she weren't, Dick would've still helped her . . . albeit in a slightly different way. With Bruce speeding back to the Manor, Dick was free to play hooky until Alfred called.

"Let's go grab something to eat first," he suggested. Served him right for not eating back at the restaurant, but Dick wasn't in the mood to eat Foie Gras tonight. There happened to be a quaint cafe not far from where they were and although Dick didn't prefer to eat an excessive amount of sugar, Siobhan did.

"So what do you say?"

" . . ."

"There's cake~"

" . . . Alright."

On the way, Siobhan accidentally bumped shoulders with a posh elderly woman out on a stroll with her husband. "I'm sorry," she sputtered and made a little bowing motion with her head.

In any case, the woman found it amusing and giggled as they walked past. "What adorable sweethearts," they heard her say to her husband. A pink tint colored both their face and they immediately dropped each other's hands. The comfortable atmosphere was forever ruined between them as they quietly made their way to the cafe.

"Ladies first," Dick smirked and open the door with a flourish, garnering a mild murderous glare from Siobhan. After, he strode in, blatantly ignoring his fight or flight reflexes. He was hungry, darn it and Alfred was about sixty miles away at the manor, dusting.

"Good evening," a waitress, smiling politely as she approached them with some menus. "Welcome to DeLise Cafe, I'm Miranda and I'll be your waitress for tonight."

"We'd like a private booth, please," Dick said. Beside him, Siobhan made a small noise akin to a strangled duck.

The interior of the establishment was decorated simply, a mahogany wood floor and metal lantern lights kept the mood in the cafe relaxed and warm. Various antiques lined the walls, making it feel homely. The waitress led them to another room and sat them down.

"Here are your menus," Miranda passed them the menus, beaming. "Anytime you're ready to order, just give me a ring." She gestured at a metal bell at the end of their table and disappeared.

Dick flipped through the menu and selected the first item he was familiar with, a club sandwich and french fries. He glanced across the table to find Siobhan looking at him, her own menu untouched.

"Vous n'allez pas de commander quoi que ce soit?" (_Aren't you going to order anything?)_ He propped his chin up with his hands and smirked at her, satisfied when Siobhan began fidgeting under his stare. He rung the bell and instantly, Miranda was back with two glasses of water in her hands. She quickly set the cups down and took out a notebook from her hands.

"I'd like the club sandwich," He quickly smirked at Siobhan again and she sent back an annoyed frown. "And my friend would like whatever's the special is tonight."

"Is that all," the waitress asked, looking bemusedly at the two teens she was serving.

"Yes, take your time," Dick grinned. "We're in no hurry."

Once the menus were collected and Miranda vanished into the kitchens, Siobhan let out a sigh of relief. "What exactly are we doing here," she asked suspiciously.

"I'm hungry," Dick replied. "I just got back from the Math Olympics and the last thing I ate was a granola bar on the bus."

"I see . . ." She looked around the booth, taking in the dimly lit area and the other patrons. "You're not really going to help me find my way back, are you, Richard?"

"I will, just after we hang out," Dick took a sip of his water, leaning back on the cushion of his chair for more support.

"This isn't a . . ." Siobhan trailed off, her countenance becoming light pink.

"What? Like a date," Dick finished bluntly. Across from him, the girl made an unattractive hissing noise and quickly reached for her glass of water.

"I never meant it like tha-"

"But you wanted to," Dick finished for her.

Siobhan cleared her throat and frowned slightly at him. "You remind me of someone. I can't place my finger on it, but the both of you would've said the same thing."

"Do you like him~"

"He is my friend," she replied indignantly. Then she took a deep breath and bowed her head. "Perhaps . . . just a bit."

If time stopped and nobody was around, then Dick might, emphasis on the 'might', have crashed down backwards in his chair. But she made it clear to him on the first patrol she went on that she had no reason to lie, maybe he just discovered the reason why she always reacted violently towards Wally and his match-making schemes.

"You must never repeat this to Barbara, you understand?" Siobhan looked around her before leaning forward. "She'll . . . overreact and I won't know how to . . . deal with it."

"So why are you telling me," His teammate was unnaturally secretive about everything, where she went after school, what she got on her tests and exams, even where she hid cartons of ice cream from Wally. Megan and Artemis have only learned so much about her and vice versa before the girl kicked them out of her room.

"Because," she took another deep breath. "You are male and . . . and I doubt you'll ever meet him."

"Harsh, but go on."

"I-I . . . It's just a silly infatuation," Siobhan said nervously. "Forget what I said."

(Gotham City, May 11, 2012. 9:18 p.m)

It scared her on just how fast she revealed something so personal to another person, particularly one she's only know since the end of January. But Siobhan had no confidants with Poison Ivy missing, and the females of the Team were too . . . confusing to talk to. There was just so much she wanted to say out loud, the things she had become fascinated by in the natural world, nonsensical thoughts, etcetra. But the fear that kept her alive was what kept her from fully connecting with people.

And just look where secrets had gotten her to, trouble with gangs, endangerment of innocents, even authorities. Not to mention the one that was pushed down so far that recessive night terrors had become common.

"If I'm not even going to met him, then what's the big deal? Spill," Richard prodded. He smiled evilly and picked up his glass of water. "What's he like?"

_He is right. They are never going to meet, S10B14N. What harm can it do?_

"He-He's . . . nice," she whispered.

"You gotta elaborate," Richard urged.

"H-He's has a bit of an ego," she said, mortified beyond belief.

To make matters worse, her friend began laughing to the point where he was wheezing. "Sorry, but I thought he'd be like Prince Charming or something," he gradually calmed down and took a long sip from his water.

"He's not," Siobhan couldn't believe that she was continuing this conversation, with Richard for that matter. She always expected Megan to wheedle the information out of her using her telepathy.

"Well . . . not mine," she continued feebly. Richard looked sympathetically at her and-

"Sorry for the wait!" Miranda rushed over to their table with a plate of sandwiches and french fries, setting it before Richard and another plate in front of Siobhan. "And one hazelnut rainwater tiramisu. Enjoy!"

Thankful for Miranda's timely interruption, Siobhan quickly picked up her spoon and shoveled a generous chunk of the small cake right after the woman put the plate down. As she suspected, it tasted _divine._ This further solidified her notion that wealthy people had the best of everything.

"If you need anything else, just ring," Miranda chirped. She left almost as quickly as she came and the uncomfortable feeling was back.

"So why isn't he your 'prince charming'?" Richard asked, referring to their earlier conversation.

"Because . . . because . . . the sun hasn't stopped shining for him."

(Gotham City, May 11, 2012. 9:39 p.m)

_Impossible, that would be like sun forgetting how shine because of a few days of rain._

The grin slowly melted off of Dick's face, replaced by a stern line across his mouth. He knew Siobhan had meant well by her comment, respecting his privacy by not divulging any important information about Robin. Still, she had looked like she absolutely believed that eventually he and Zatanna would patch things up and pretend that they never fought, that Zatara never became Dr. Fate, that Zatanna didn't literally smashed his boyhood into itty-bitty pieces with that last kiss.

Dick, actually Robin didn't want to the bearer of bad news. He wasn't hung up anymore over Zatanna, but he didn't feel anything other than just being friends with Siobhan. He didn't even know when the infatuation developed in the first place, and had he know, he wouldn't have teased her so relentlessly.

"Richard, Richard!" He snapped back to reality where the girl across from him was pointing at his pocket. It must be Alfred, calling from wherever he was driving through to look for him.

"Yeah," he asked, turning away from Siobhan as a momentary retreat.

_"Master Dick, where are you?"_

"I'm at the DeLise Cafe by Ferris and Gilman.

_"Acknowledged, Master Dick. I shall arrive in a few minutes._"

Just like that, Dick's evening of playing hooky was ruined. He didn't even get to swing by the fair happening in the park nearby for some funnel cake and kettle corn. Not that he wanted to now anyways. He rung the bell again for the check and wrapped up his untouched sandwiches and the remains of his french fries, paid the bill and left the cafe with Siobhan.

Sensing that something was amiss here, Siobhan attempted to get him to talk about it while they were waiting for Alfred, but Dick kept his mouth firmly shut. Finally giving up, she wished him a good evening and left.

"Wait, I thought you needed-"

But she was already gone. "A ride," he finished lamely.

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> I forgot what I was going to write after I finished chapter 13 and after almost a month, I had to think of something else. I think it was going to be a little livelier than what I wrote here. I don't believe in one ups and downs, they're not gonna look at each other one day and fall in love. NOPE~

Siobhan will and always will (in my head) put herself second. It's a combination of life in Gotham's slums and because she thinks she's virtually indestructible (though not like Superboy) Then Poison Ivy comes along and tries to teach her how to 'love' herself a bit more and there will be a chapter on that later on.

Yes, I know Robin is smooth and that he's always prepared for any situation thrown at him. But like I said before, his relationship with Zee seemed a bit too rushed and that's why he's gonna have some doubts. But I'm not trying to make Siobhan into some kind of second-rate replacement for Zatanna and I'm not gonna make him Prince Charming either.

And the whole sun shining thing was my fail comparison to his and Zatanna's relationship. She is pretty much the sun and the breaking up part is the rain. Siobhan pretty much believes that they will get back together which is why she's trying to keep Wally _and_Robin from making their stupid jokes. Hence, she has to believe that Zatanna still cares about him and that's why the sun is still shining for him.

Can you say mega awkward? He knows that she (kinda) likes him and the next chapter is gonna explain when and how. But for now, au revoir~ Review~


	15. Chapter 15

**Shitz-Suji:** . . . I'm sorry. During the month of September, I got caught up in the world that is high school. My parents's been ragging on me to keep my school rank above five and that's not easy when you have about five honors classes, band, and clubs. Then the homecoming float (TT_TT) Doing Gangnam Style during halftime was worth it though. So, anyone feeling dem feels ever since episode 9 of season 2 aired? Darn you Wally for making me doubt Aqualad. Ok, 'nough talking. Enjoy~

* * *

><p>(Gotham City, May 24, 2012. 9:23 p.m )<p>

"So how many did you get, Robin," Siobhan asked. They were trapped in a circle by members of a violent street gang in Gotham. The night air reeked with the stench of cigarette smoke and other questionable substances. Thugs would jump out at random moments to attack the teens, but they hardly stood a chance against them.

"Let's see . . . That makes about eight so far . . . Shivette."

"Huh? Don't lie to me." Siobhan spun on her heel, slamming the reinforced sole of her boot against an attacker's face. "There are fifteen unconscious. I took eight, nine now, so that leaves you with seven."

"Oh, I think you've miscounted," Robin said mockingly. He disarmed his opponent with a flick of his arm and punched the man with the other in the chest region before finally knocking him out with a blow to the head.

He quickly ducked as Siobhan performed a handspring over him and launched into a spinning kick. By the time she righted herself, about a quarter of the gangsters laid unconscious or were about to faint.

"I've been keeping count from the start, unlike somebody who rushed in without a second thought," Siobhan replied, smirking. "Math does not seem like your strong suit."

If only she knew, Robin thought. Using his hands as leverage, he jumped above the crowd and picked individuals out, one by one using only his fists. He didn't need to be on a balance beam to exercise his superior acrobatic abilities.

Robin leapt out of the way just before he was crushed beneath falling crates and limp bodies. From the other end, Siobhan mercilessly delivered a sound beating to those who thought it was a good idea to pull a gun out and shoot at her.

"Brute strength as usual, just like a gorilla," Robin teased.

"Acrobatics as usual, just like a monkey," Siobhan shot back.

"Are you asking for a fight?" The Boy Wonder hastily dispatched his opponents before turning to his teammate and smirking.

"You started this," Siobhan accused. She finished off the last of the thugs by clubbing them with a trash can lid she found nearby. Robin picked up both their helmets that they dropped during the skirmish and threw the white one towards her.

With Bruce unavailable until after midnight, Robin had decided to accompany Siobhan out on a round of patrol. Eventually, their nonsensical bantering had turned to a verbal sparring that escalated to the point where Robin once asked her how it was like 'to be kicked so far away'. If it wasn't for that gnawing feeling at the back of his head, they would be beating each other down in another sparring session back at the Cave.

"Let's go," Siobhan called before putting on her helmet. She revved her motorcycle's engine once and left Robin literally standing in a cloud of dust.

Not to be outdone, the Boy Wonder jumped onto his own bike and took after her retreating vehicle, weaving through traffic without any trouble.

(Mount Justice, May 26, 2012. 7:30 p.m)

Wally glanced over at his best friend, then to his teammate sitting in the kitchen, eating pie. The tension was so thick between that he swore he could take a knife and easily cut through it.

He thought about it for a minute, observing the way Robin ran his hand through his hair and how Siobhan tortured the poor piece of pastry on her plate. It didn't take long for him to put two and two together. But he wasn't really sure about it.

"Hey Siobhan, can you get me a bag of chicken whizees, please?"

Of course, this was just a part of the brilliant plan forming in his head. A good scientist does not jump to conclusions, not until a test has been done and he was determined to come to a definite conclusion.

"You must have eaten the last bag," Siobhan called from the kitchen, "because there are none left here."

"Then can you get more from the storage closet? I'm pretty sure R.T. bought more yesterday."

Though skeptical, Siobhan obediently flounced out of the kitchen, her boots scuffling slightly on the polished linoleum floor. Once she disappeared around the corner of the hallway, Wally got up from his seat and walked to the kitchen.

Once there, he opened the fridge and pretended to search frantically for something. By now, Siobhan should be about three-quarters to the storage closet. It was time for phase two.

"Dude, can you tell Shiv to get some sodas too, there's none left in the fridge," he whined.

"Why don't you get your own soda," Robin quipped. "She's not your maid." But rather than sitting in the lounge any longer and dragging out the inevitable, the Boy Wonder got off his behind and walked off towards the storage closet.

And Robin wondered why Wally always called him predictable.

(Mount Justice, May 26, 2012. 7:35 p.m)

Siobhan was sure that the chicken whizees were near the boxes of cake mix . . . or maybe it was the canned fruits. The storage closest was jammed pack with snacks to supply the Team's intake of junk food, especially Wally's. It shouldn't take this long to look for one bag of chips.

"They're over by the freeze-dry brownies," a new voice said. Robin calmly walked by her and over to the unopened packs of soda when the door suddenly slid shut.

"Wait, there are people in here," Siobhan shouted. "Wally! Wally!" After a few minutes of silence, she pounded on the door, hoping that the speedster would be able to hear her from wherever he was.

"The door is rejecting the override. Something is jamming the signal from the outside," Robin said. He quickly tapped on his wrist computer and looked up, horrified. " . . . Oh no."

"Oh no? What do you mean 'oh no'," Siobhan trilled nervously.

"It means I locked you two lovebirds in," a familiar voice said smugly over the intercom. "You'll thank me one day~"

The panic melted away from Siobhan's face and was quickly replaced by a blank frown. She clenched her fist and waited for the moisture in the air to gather and form a drill over her lower arm. "You have five seconds before I use this to get out and hurt you."

"Go ahead," Wally goaded. "Superman reinforced the Cave. Even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to break that door down."

Sparks flew before the speedster even got to finish his last sentence. Siobhan forced her arm against the metal and pushed as hard as she could, but in the end the ice was reduced a pitiful stub.

"Darn it, Wally! I have practice in an hour. Open up!"

"Too bad, so sad~"

"Robin! Do something," she commanded.

"He's shutting down the door's electricity flow," he replied. "I'm losing its signal."

While Robin was trying to attack the problem on his wrist watch computer, Siobhan tried again with a bigger drill. But Wally countered this by turning the heater on.

It wasn't funny anymore, Siobhan wasn't meant to function in the heat for long periods of time and she was wearing four layers of clothes for goodness sakes!

"I hope everything spoils in here," she yelled spitefully.

"Maybe the soda might warm up, but everything else around here is pretty much chips and candy," Robin said. Defeated, he slumped against a stack of boxes and pulled out a granola bar. "You might as well eat something because we're gonna to be in here for a while."

The storage closet was not small, but it was overcrowded by boxes and crates of food and drinks. If Siobhan went ahead and released all her power, then she would end up severely injury Robin at point-blank and that would only guarantee a very slim chance of escaping.

_Well played, Wally,_ she thought. _Next time you are getting your own chicken whizees._

(Mount Justice, May 26, 2012. 7:52 p.m)

Robin couldn't believe he was outsmarted by Wally. Granted, the speedster had an enhanced thought process , which gave him the ability to process information in split seconds and form a counterattack. But only on rare occasions was this ability used against him.

The layer of lead between the natural rock formations of the Cave cut off any signal Robin had with the outside world. Wally had taken care to disconnect every electrical outlet inside and outside the closet that Robin might have taken advantage of to escape.

Meanwhile, he was stuck in this dingy room with one of his more unpredictable teammates. She was leaning against a corner with her head turned, eating a freeze-dry brownie. He figured that the heat must be getting to her, just like it was with him.

At this rate, they would succumb to heat stroke before Wally came back to let them out. About forty minutes had already past and Siobhan had long given up on cooling the room down with her powers. She claimed it was 'a waste of time and energy' since Wally just cranked the heat up higher.

Robin fought the urge to strip off his jackets and thermal undershirts. It was what Wally was probably going for in the first place, that punk. He noticed that Siobhan already threw down her cardigan and took off her clunky boots. As a cryokinetic meta-human, of course she would fare worse than him in this heat.

"Something wrong, Boy Wonder," she asked. "You looked troubled."

"Nah, I'm fine. Just enjoying a granola bar and the summer heat," he replied teasingly.

" . . .Tchh."

So much for small talk.

(Mount Justice, May 26, 2012, 8:38 p.m)

There was hardly any moisture in the air to create a substainable source of ice and what's worse was that she was about thirty minutes late for dance practice now. How was she supposed to explain this to Barbara Gordon, who adhered to her schedule more than her own advice?

Her cotton blouse was becoming increasingly stuffy, but Siobhan had no choice but to keep it on since the last layer was the tank top she wore for practice. At the same time, Robin still had all ten layers of his clothes on and he looked perfectly fine.

"You asleep yet, Shivette," came a mischievous voice.

"I never sleep," she said tiredly. They were trapped in a dimmly lit room with the heater roasting their skin cells alive and Robin still found enough energy to joke around, how unamusing.

She took a seat on the floor against the crates of soda, crossing her arms and closed her eyes. "It's amazing how this is more comfortable than a bed."

"I wouldn't know. A bed does sound pretty good right now," Robin sighed wistfully.

Siobhan didn't bother to answer. A drawn out conversation with Robin might end up in a petty squabble over who offended who and that wouldn't be a good idea when they were in an enclosed space. It was really cliché of Wally to lock them in together anyways. According to Einstein's theory of insanity, he could've tried it a million times and the outcome would still be the same. Nothing was going to happen.

She would admit she admired Robin for his optimism and bright attitude towards everything. Being the Batman's protégé was a difficult role to take up and Robin managed deal with everything thrown at him with a grin. Not like her with her various shortcomings in life.

It was only by good fortune that she met Batman and Robin that day, that she was welcomed into the Team and granted some semblance of a normal life. Even so, good things never last long and life's lessons had taught her just that. It is the only human to do by making the most of it before it slipped away.

" . . . If only," she mumbled.

"If only what," Robin instantly asked.

How can she even say what's on her mind when so much of it wasn't meant to be shared?

"If only I finished my pie," she fibbed. "Then at least I wouldn't be so hungry.

Robin crossed his arms and smirked. "Four brownies and some cookies and you're still hungry? You've got to be joking."

"If you're trying to say I'm overweight, go ahead. I don't care," she snapped. "I'm perfectly fine the way I am."

"No, that's not what I meant," he quickly replied. "I meant-"

"I said I don't care," Siobhan said a bit too harshly. She wasn't the most attractive person around, but nobody liked to be reminded of their physical flaws, not even her. She was always going to be the bleached pale, insomniac mental patient with odd hair, nothing about that was ever going to change.

Speaking of insomniac, her last sleep cycle was almost six days or one hundred forty-four hours ago. If she didn't rest soon, the fatigue will be the end of her and she would never get the chance to get revenge on Wally.

(Mount Justice, May 26, 2012. 10:48 p.m)

"Two hours, twenty-six minutes, fifty-three seconds, and counting," Robin muttered. Ten minutes ago, he decided to peel of his jacket and hoodie before he fainted from the heat. And at what good timing as well, the heating system automatically switched to its cooling mode only a . . . minute and fifty-eight seconds ago.

If they were lucky enough, maybe Wally or someone else could power the door back up by accident or otherwise so Robin could hack his way out of the closet. Maybe he could call Bruce and get him to unlock the door from the outside. It was almost twelve anyways, the man can swing by for a few minutes and pick him up along the way, maybe he can even scare Wally . . . a bit.

"Phone, where is my phone," Robin muttered. He was sure it was in his left coat pocket because he was texting a friend before he got into this mess. "Found it!" Robin quickly unlocked the keypad and was about to press the speed dial key for Bruce when he remembered that he was not alone.

Siobhan was sitting on the other end of the room, her right hand placed neatly on her lap while the left was probably holding a candy bar. She hadn't made a single peep since their last interaction.

"Shivette?" He got up and quietly tip-toed over to her even though she warned him countless time not to. "Heyy," he drawled, hoping it would shock or startle her, but nothing. She wasn't sleeping . . . was she?

Robin knelt down and gently brushed the hair away from her face, being careful not to make any sudden movements that might wake her. He didn't like her in that way, but that didn't stop him from being a friend and prevent her eyes from being poked out by her hair when she woke up.

"Yeah right," he scoffed. The heat must have fried his brains long enough for him to come up with logic as bad as that. Robin sat down beside her and rubbed his eyes. Siobhan wasn't going to be the only one who knocked out if he spent another minute in the closet.

He glanced over at the girl next to him and faintly smiled. Robin had intensely thought it over countless number of times since his last civilized conversation with her as Dick Grayson and figured that the reason that he teased her so much could be the reason why he didn't like her. More like didn't want to like her.

In that case, he was denying himself the chase that he loved and as sick as that may have sound, he didn't care. It was the same way with Zatanna, she was Zatara's daughter, which automatically made her off-limits to anyone and everyone, and yet he still managed to get her in the end. Maybe Bruce's playboy side was rubbing off on him.

Personality-wise, Siobhan was not the most structured person he knew. With her short-temper and inscrutable methods of expressing herself, the only person she would be able to communicate safely was with Megan. But her attention to every conversation and how she took every word to heart made up for that lack of structure.

And while she appeared emotionally distant to the daily troubles of the Team, they all knew she cared. Otherwise, how would Tornado explain the way she turned the Cave upside down one Saturday morning just to look for his missing red tie for his android alter ego or Megan, when she ran out of a certain brand of raisins for her raisin cake and Siobhan spent half her day scouring Happy Harbor's grocery stores for a box?

Robin leaned against the cases of soda and crossed his legs which were getting a bit numb after sitting on them for a while. His knee accidentally grazed Siobhan's thigh and he held in his breath as she stirred. Her head now rested against Robin's shoulder and she was quite close to him at the moment, but she remained asleep. Robin instinctively brushed the hair away from Siobhan's face and tucked it behind her ear, just like he use to do for Zatanna when she fell asleep on him.

"This is so not happening," he admonished. His hand was still in her hair and although he marveled at how soft it really was, he pulled his hand back quickly. No, he was not losing it. He was not watching her sleep or following the rhythmic rise and fall of her breathing. Nope, he was really tired, hungry, and ready to give Wally the noogie of lifetime.

(Mount Justice, May 26, 2012. 11:23 p.m)

"Awwwwww~"

'Aw' didn't even begin to explain the scenario Wally found before him. He expected to walk in on his favorite new couple kissing or holding hands, not asleep together on the floor. The speedster couldn't deny how adorable it was, especially seeing how Siobhan was resting on Robin, who appeared to be smiling down at her in his sleep. It was just too much.

"This is so asterous," he squealed. He then slapped both hands over his mouth and dashed off to his room to find his phone.

He was back before even one second passed and happily pointed his camera at the sleeping pair. Robin was never going to live this one down, not in a trillion years because his best pal Wally will never let him forget it.

Before he could take the picture, he frowned. Something was not right. With a sly grin, Wally put his phone in his pocket and skipped over to his sleeping teammates. When he stepped back two minutes later to admire his handiwork, he realized that when Robin and Siobhan learned of this, they would _maul _him and not even Batman could make them stop. But they sorely needed this little push or else nothing was ever going to happen.

"Say cheese~"

After taking a couple of photos, Wally smiled endearingly at the younger teens. "I'm gonna leave them here for a little while~"

This was totally worth being mauled.

(Mount Justice, May 27, 2012. 7:00 a.m)

_Boys call you sexy (What's up, sexy?)_

_And you don't care what they say_

_See everytime you turn around_

_They scream your name_

Siobhan groggily reached for her phone in her pocket, which was not there. That strange ringtone Artemis assigned for her phone was blaring at top volume now and it was starting to hurt her eardrums. She found the little rectangle on her nightstand a few minutes after her phone stopped ringing and realized she was not in the closet anymore.

Textbooks and papers piled neatly on top of a small desk, a backpack thrown haphazardly in the center of the room, an armchair home to stacks of books, this was her room. Considering how her blankets were actually being used as blankets, it must have been Megan who carried her back to her room. Siobhan hastily grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before going to breakfast.

"Darn, I'm late for training with Black Canary," The topmost button of her shirt wasn't cooperating and as soon as she left the bathroom, she realized she grabbed a pair of pants better suited for leisure wear. After a quick stop back to her room for a change of clothes, she ran to the kitchen for a quick snack . . . only to find Canary already there, chatting with the Team.

"I'm sorry," she began to apologize, "I forgot to set my alarm and-"

"We haven't even started yet, Siobhan. Relax," Canary said. Behind her, Raquel, Wally, Megan, and Artemis snickered loudly at something the speedster was holding.

As Siobhan took her first bite of french toast and washed it down with milk, she heard Wally mention out loud how he kept her and Robin locked in the same room for more than two hours. If that wasn't enough, he began theorizing what they supposedly did during the duration of their lock-in until it finally reached a point where Siobhan drove her fork through her plate, breaking it.

"We never did anything except plan how to get revenge on you when we escaped," she exclaimed indignantly. The little bits of toast flopped pitifully around her fork as it was pushed deeper to make indentations in the granite countertop.

"Ah . . . sorry."

(Mount Justice, May 27, 2012. 9:43 a.m )

Black Canary didn't go too hard on her today. She got off with light bruises and a dull ache blooming in her left calf, which was better than last time. As the the team dissipated after Canary left, Siobhan approached Megan, who stayed behind to practice some more, to thank her.

"What for," the Martian girl asked.

" . . . Weren't you the one who took me back to my room last night?"

Even though Megan used her telekinesis for almost everything, it still felt polite to thank her for levitating her unconscious body back to her room rather than leaving it on the floor.

Instead M' Gann covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. "That was Robin, silly. I was at Happy Harbor with Conner yesterday."

"Is that why he was absent from practice?" She wasn't that heavy that carrying her for ten meters would critically injure him, but then again, he did notice her increased intake of food.

"He's still sleeping in his room after Wally kept him up all night. But he should be going home soon," Megan said thoughtfully.

" . . ."

Siobhan left afterwards to let Megan practice and headed back to her room to finish her biology homework. Those hours in the closet wasted a good chunk of her time that was supposed to spent on something productive, like finishing all her homework so she could watch the season eight finale of her favorite drama.

When she was back in her room, Siobhan picked up her backpack and walked over to her desk when she noticed an envelope neatly propped up by her pillow on the bed. It was probably a message from Batman warning her to behave after the debacle Wally put her through.

"I guess the motorcycle is off-limits again," she sighed. And she had actually grown to enjoy listening to the roar of the engine as she rode through Gotham, shame.

Instead, Siobhan pulled out a blank card and something else from the envelope. She flipped it over and immediately dropped it like it was a hot potato.

"WALLY!"

(Mount Justice, May 27, 2012. 10:00 a.m)

"Good morning, Romeo," a familiar voice chirped. Robin instantly scrambled out of bed and put a hand on his face to see whether or not his sunglasses were still there. They were and through their tinted lenses, he saw Wally leaning on the frame of his door.

"Get out, dude. I still need to change," the Boy Wonder said tiredly. His head was still a mess from the rambling conversations he had with the red-head and he was not in a good mood from being woken up so early.

"Suit yourself. I have something for you though," Wally replied. "Here, souvenir." He threw a piece of paper at him and dashed away, leaving Robin in a semi-confused state.

Robin picked the paper up and turned it over. It was a photoshopped picture of him and Siobhan asleep, he knew because he had woken up right after he heard the door open. Except . . . it didn't look photoshopped. The details looked too elaborate and no amount of photoshopping would ever be able to get Siobhan's hair right.

. . .

Was he holding hands with her?

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji: <strong>Fail. 'Nough said. But seriously, I'd like to thank y'all that "urged" me via private messaging about updating, otherwise who know when my laptop would be used for fanfiction again. Oh, Siobhan's ringtone might sound like PCD's _When I Grow Up_, but it's really Mayday Parade's take on the same song. The punk edge gives it that double meaning if you get what I mean ;D

Wally seems way OOC. Ughh.

GO CLASS OF 2015! Oppa Gangnam Style! Review~


	16. Chapter 16

**Shitz-Suji: *bows deeply*** Marching season has begun, so like almost every week I have some parade or tournament I have to go to. (Bring on the Christmas music) This chapter was supposed to be published two weeks ago, but I kept scrapping it and rewriting the whole thing again (there's probably some minor errors in there, but I'll catch them later).

My only message is dedicated to the creators of Young Justice:

**Y u air two beautiful episodes and leave us fans hanging? Por que?!**

Enjoy~

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><p>(Mount Justice, June 8, 2012. 7:14 p.m)<p>

"Whoa, what's with the get up tonight? You got a hot date, Shiv," Artemis called. She eyed the younger girl across the briefing hall with a teasing glance and smirked.

"I have some business to attend to," Siobhan replied stiffly. "Excuse me."

The blonde archer listened to the echo of heels clicking and look towards her right. "I know you're here! You can come out now, she's gone!"

When no one answered back, she frowned, but walked away. Up in the rafters, Wally and Robin bumped fists and grinned. Artemis might be figuring out their game, but she was never going to be able to find them.

(Gotham Pier, June 8, 2012. 7:45 p.m)

"I didn't come here to negotiate. State your name and intent," Siobhan ordered. "Now!"

The shorter of the two didn't hesitate to step forth, even stopping to eye the way Siobhan's pencil skirt wrapped around her legs.

"Name's Oswald Landegre. We're here to ask you a few things," he said. Oswald was supposed to be Belle Reve for almost throwing half the middle east into a full-fledged war.

Siobhan scoffed. "Disarms yourselves and throw your weapons to the ground where I can see them first." She watched as Oswald reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an automatic handgun. His partner threw over a standardized glock, a small bag of explosives, and a taser.

"Very clever, now may we ask you to do the same," a feminine voice trilled.

"Fine by me," Siobhan threw down a large hunting knife she had procured from a robber an hour ago near the docks. "Satisfied," she asked.

"Very. Now I would like to introduce you to someone," Oswald said. "This is Dr. Aris. She was a colleague of Dr. Laurent." He bowed his head politely and gestured for his companion to step forward.

She was quite young with a cherub-like face and flaming red hair. A jarring scar cut across her neck like a lightning bolt and lined part of her shoulder blade.

"Plastic surgery? You must be quite disfigured," Siobhan remarked with thinly veiled condescension. "Was it Dr. Laurent who did this to you? Is that why you're here?"

"How dare y-" Oswald cut Dr. Aris off with a wave of his hand and smiled at both females.

"Where is Vincent Laurent, S10B14N," he asked calmly. "because we would like to have a word with him."

(Wayne Manor, June 8, 2012. 8:31 p.m)

"Night, Alfred," Dick said as he passed the elderly butler in the corridor.

"Goodnight, Master Dick. Do try to sleep tonight," Alfred gave a small smile and walked off to finish up the last of his chores.

Dick quickly entered his room and flopped onto his bed, his brain too tired to comprehend anything else besides sleep. But he didn't want to go to bed; it was a natural habit for him to sleep in the early morning, so it felt a bit weird that he was already back in his room before 12:30.

It certainly would give him the rest he sorely needed though. Between school, parties, training, and his responsibilities as Robin, he didn't get much of a break in between.

Dick fingered through his collection of news clippings about Batman and Robin's exploits in Gotham. When that was done, he browsed through the knick-knacks on his book shelf, recounting how he got them and why he kept them.

Towards the end of the shelf was an insulated glass cube with an ice sculpture inside. Dick brushed his fingers across the surface of the top and groaned. He would never get use to how cold that thing was.

Maybe he wouldn't admit it to himself, but he was feeling a little put out after seeing Siobhan. She was dressed up _for someone else_ to go on a date _with_ _someone else_.

And he or rather Robin had been sure that her 'confession' was meant for him. Guess that he had been mistaken.

(Mount Justice, May 27, 2012. 12:09 a.m)

"_Answer me this, will you," Wally sipped on his milkshake and took a few bites of his pizza before looking at Robin. "Do you like Siobhan?"_

"_No."_

"_You are so lying, dude. I've been friends with you long enough to know that," Wally said. "Do you still like Zatanna?"_

" _. . . Yes."_

"_Even after she broke up with you at J.F.K airport? In front of Zatara?"_

_Robin's eyebrows knitted together and he frowned at Wally. "What are you getting to, Wally?"_

"_Just answer the question."_

_Robin sighed and drank deeply from his can of cola. "Yes, I do."_

"_What do you think of Shiv," Wally asked. "And tell the truth, everything stays between us two."_

"_And if I don't?"_

"_We're best friends, you'd never do that to me," the speedster said firmly. _

"_Fine, Shivette is mean, short-tempered, and depressing," Robin huffed. "There, happy?"_

"_Ok, let me say this again. You do like Siobhan," the redhead declared. _

"_Oh, please tell me," the Boy Wonder said sarcastically. "Enlighten me on why I like would someone who throttles me every time she sees me."_

_Wally leaned back in his seat and laughed. "It's so obvious. You like her, but you know you're not supposed to, so you act like a total jerk around her."_

"_I do not!"_

"_Yes, you do!"_

"_Not!"_

(Wayne Manor, June 8, 2012. 8:39 p.m)

"You owe me big time, dude," Dick mumured. He slumped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling until sleep took over him.

(East Gotham, June 8, 2012. 8:56 p.m)

"That didn't take long, did it," Oswald chirped brightly.

"It would've been much shorter if Dr. Aris had disarmed herself like I told her to do earlier," Siobhan snarled. "Then I wouldn't have to remind her how frail her legs were."

"The collars aren't so bad, I'm wearing one myself too. So it all evens out," Oswald said. "Hurry now, this neighborhood is giving me the creeps."

Siobhan tugged at her own inhibitor collar, put on her by the chauffeur after she nearly destroyed his vehicle when Aris shot her with a tranquilizer dart. She was more than happy to see how long before frostbite would claim her toes if Oswald had not suggested putting on the contraption.

"Is he down there," Aris snapped.

"I can assure you, Dr. Aris, that Vincent Laurent is here," Siobhan replied tiredly. She started for the entrance of the lab when Aris's personal chauffeur slapped handcuffs on her.

"You're staying here where Mr. Sommers can keep an eye you. We are going down by ourselves to see the doctor," Oswald said coolly. "Mr. Sommers, alert us if there is any trouble."

"Yes, sir," the chauffeur politely nodded his head and watched them walk off to the entrance of the lab. Meanwhile, he held Siobhan's wrist firmly in a vice-like grip to prevent her from escaping. Once they heard the faint hiss of a door sliding close, the man tried to stuff her back into the car to wait.

"Sorry, I have a curfew and I don't need a babysitter," Siobhan said. She twisted his arm back and dealt a crushing kick to both of Mr. Sommer's shins. While he was recovering from the attack, Siobhan produced the hidden taser from her sleeve that she snatched from the pier and turned it on.

The second he got back up, she kicked him back down and pressed the taser to his neck. "Sleep well," she whispered.

(East Gotham, June 8, 2012. 9:21 p.m)

Aris surveyed the lab with a bit of disdain. Her lab was tidy and neat, books were categorized in alphabetical order, and she always made sure her specimens were stored far away from her person. She preferred to be near beautiful things.

His was full of jars filled with fluid and organs. Dust covered every available surface and his tools were strewn all over the unused desk.

As fascinating as it was to survey the environment of the man she once work for, Dr. Aris had more important things to do and none of it was going to get done unless she found Laurent.

"Sommers, could you please bring down our guest? I'd like to have a few words with her," Aris asked over her radio link, voice dripping with honeyed sweetness.

"Sommers? Answer me," she asked again after ten seconds. Ten seconds turned to thirty and soon, two whole minutes had passed.

"Answer me goddammit or I swear-"

"Quiet down or you'll wake him," a melancholic voice said. "I put him to sleep."

In the other room, Aris suddenly heard the sound of electricity zapping and Oswald howling in pain.

"You might want to check in on your friend. Looks like his collar malfunctioned."

Aris hurried to the cryogenic chambers where Oswald was in and found him lying face down against the floor. Sparks cracked and flew from his collar and landed on her expensive cocktail dress, effectively ruining the white fabric with small burn marks when she ran over to pick him up.

"As you may have deduced now, Vincent Laurent is not in this facility. He was moved to a disclosed location and kept under check by myself personally. As for you two," the voice paused to take a breath, "if I ever see you again, there will be hell to pay."

(Mount Justice, June 9, 2012. 7:03 a.m)

The mouthwatering scent of Alfred's chocolate chip pancakes filled the kitchen as Robin waited beside the microwave for them to heat up. He was warned by the chef that they would get cold if left out for too long. But either way, the pancakes were still going to taste good, especially after a morning workout.

In the training area, Kaldur and Raquel were still training, so far it was Kaldur-2 and Raquel-1. The other five matches consisted mostly of them swatting at each other playfully. Conner, Megan, and Siobhan weren't awake yet and Artemis said she would swing by later for a brief practice session with him before going out with her mom.

As Robin took his seat at the island counter, Wolf padded up to him and barked once. After the fiasco when Wally gave him a whole bar of Hersey's chocolate, he knew better than to give him some of his pancakes.

"Let me go get some hamburger for you," Robin said, grinning. He kept an eye on the albino wolf and quickly pulled out a chunk of raw hamburger meat from the fridge, placing it on plastic wrap before giving it to Wolf. They dug into their food immediately after, only stopping to breath and swallow their food.

"Looks like I don't have to make breakfast for you two," a happy voice laughed. Robin looked up from his plate and smiled at Megan and Conner, who just walked into the kitchen. "Mornin'," he greeted.

Conner acknowledged him with a faint smile and a nod before grabbing a pack of cookies from the cabinets. "Don't eat too much of those, I'm making sausage and eggs for you," Megan warned.

"Wanna split some," Robin whispered. M'gann did make some good sausage and eggs.

"You wish," Conner whispered back. He grinned at the younger boy's face and softly punched him in the arm. "Just kidding."

Megan shook her head at them and tossed the egg husks in the trash can. "You guys want some peanut butter cookies? I sure do," she chirped, "and I'm pretty sure Wally won't miss a jar of peanut butter."

"If we're lucky," Robin said, smirking. "But shouldn't we get the others to join us first?"

(Mount Justice, June 9, 2012. 9:18 a.m)

Siobhan dabbed her napkin at the corners of her mouth, making sure that she had cleaned up all traces of ketchup and peanut butter. If she had known that breakfast was going to turn into a battlefield, she would have stayed in her room and waited until the chaos was over.

"It was fun," she said quietly. Bits of egg and butter stuck to her hair, courtesy of Robin, who dumped half his plate on her head. She got her revenge by pouring a cup of cold milk down his back.

Needless to say, Red Tornado was not at all thrilled to see the mess they made of the kitchen. In fact, the first thing he made them clean up was the maple syrup and cookies he stepped on with his titanium alloy foot. Siobhan couldn't stop laughing during the whole process.

After a quick shower, she made a quick stop back to her room for a fresh change of clothes. Her vest and white shirt were ruined after yesterday after a small skirmish in Gotham's fish district left her reeking like a shark carcass. All she had left in her wardrobe was a pair of trousers, two dresses, pajamas, school uniform, shorts, and a t-shirt.

"Well, it is a bit warm today," Siobhan mused. She quickly snatched the shirt and shorts from their hangers and put them on. As per usual, she began her weekend morning by finishing her homework, a task that took no more than three hours and started her afternoon with some light reading.

But halfway through the tale of Oliver Twist, the story lost its appeal with the depressing scenarios Oliver was put through. Of course, Siobhan already knew how the story ended, but even so, she put down the book and walked out of her room to find something productive to do.

Megan didn't need help in making cake for tonight's dessert, Kaldur was nowhere to be found, and Conner was busy tinkering with his motorcycle in the garage with Sphere. As bored as she was, Siobhan wasn't desperate enough for entertainment to knock on Robin's door at the end of the hall.

Instead, she ventured into the weight-lifting room on the other side of the Cave and familiarized herself with the feel and heaviness with each and every dumbbell. Or at least, she tried to. Siobhan could easily lift the three hundred pound weight and if she tried hard enough, the four hundred twenty-five pound weight. She was after all, more durable than the average human.

But the dumbbells nearing the far end of the room ranged from a hundred thousand pounds to thirty-two tons were clearly meant for Superboy to use. Logically, he was the only one who would be able to lift them without injuring himself. But Megan would also be able to if she used her telekinesis.

Eventually, playing with the weights became pointless, and Siobhan literally had to drag herself through the door adjoining the locker room. Or what she thought was the locker room.

(Mount Justice, June 9, 2012. 2:40 p.m)

Batman was going to kill him. On Robin's bed were two packs of Oreos, a cell phone, and himself waiting for Wally to text back. He was supposed to be doing anything else besides lounging around and eating junk food. Junk food ruins a superhero's figure by poisoning it with saturated fats and red dye number 5, or so he was told.

_So still moping in your room? You miss your Shivette? Awww – W.W_

Screw the fats and dyes, Robin just wanted to indulge in something that didn't taste like cardboard. He grimaced at Wally's text and typed back his reply.

I don't like her! – R.G

_Denial~ – W.W_

Robin put down his phone and stuffed his mouth with three cookies at once. No matter what Wally said, he was not in denial, he did not like Siobhan. How could he when he spent months pining after Zatanna? Or rather, he was nurturing his fear of rejection for a full four and a half months.

_Go and find out if the feeling is mutual, you might never know. Anyways, my mom is making meatloaf . . . so see ya later – W.W_

Like Robin was going to do that. Listening to Wally's advice didn't usually end well with him. The closest thing that actually turned out right was advice on what to get his now ex-girlfriend for her birthday.

In about an hour and a half, Batman was going to stop by to pick him, so he'd best be burning those calories he gained from the Oreos. Robin picked up his trash and changed into his workout clothes before spending his last hour and twenty-six minutes practicing gymnastics on a high bar.

He stopped by the kitchen to pick up a bottle of water and proceeded to the training area Batman specifically designed for him.

"One- One last time, t-that's it," somebody shouted.

Robin peered through the crack of the door and watched as the person inside was dangling on his high bar. She managed to use her body weight as a pendulum and swung herself high up into the air, but missed the next landing by three inches, more or less.

Before she hit the safety mat, her body physically collapsed in grey plumes of mist and she reappeared again at where she had started, dangling on his high bar. "Again," she panted. "You can do it. You can definitely-"

"Do it," Robin asked, just as she let go of the bar. In her state of surprise, she missed her chance to grab the middle bar and fell face first on the safety mat. "You alright, Shivette?"

"No," came the muffled replied. She picked herself up and watched as Robin complete a series of complicated handsprings over to the low bar. From there on, he used the momentum to propel him up to the middle bar, then the high bar.

"It's not hard," he said, laughing. "You gotta keep going."

"It's not hard for _you_," she snapped, "_show-off_"

"I heard that."

Delighted by the expression of envy and slight awe on Siobhan's face, he happily demonstrated more techniques that even Olympic gymnasts wouldn't be able to pull off.

"Hey, don't go too fast," Siobhan called. "I'm not going to be here when Batman scrapes you off the ceiling from crashing."

"Then I won't." With one final push, Robin launched himself high into the air, his socks barely scraping the light fixtures and came plummeting down above where she sat. She let out a small scream and rolled out of the way before she was flattened by the Boy Wonder.

"You meathead, you're so unpredictable sometimes!" She tapped on the back of his head and moved to get off of the mat before something unpleasant happened to her again.

Robin suddenly lashed out and snatched her wrist, pulling her back. He dodged a kick meant for his knee and hooked an arm around her waist to keep her from falling.

"What in th-"

"One more time, right," he asked teasingly.

Her eyes widened in terror at the prospect of what he was going to do next and she squirmed with all her might to get out of his hold.

"Hey, Robin! Wai-"

"Alley-oop!"

Siobhan let out a genuine scream as she was tossed forty feet up without any warning. Robin joined her a second later and grabbed her hand again, using the force of gravity to swing them over to the high bar.

"This is fun, isn't it," he asked once his knees were safely hooked around the pole.

"Please let go of my legs," she replied shakingly. "I detest being upside down."

The Boy Wonder only smirked as he swung and let go of her ankles, waiting for her to land safely beside him on the high bar. There was no shaking of the bar as she reappeared next to him. He coughed at the trails of mist she left behind and deadpanned. "Cheater," he accused.

She rolled her eyes at him and looked away, not sure of how to get off the bar without misting off again. Robin smirked and swung himself down to the middle bar, laughing during the whole time. He made a perfect landing at the base of the low bar and looked up at Siobhan.

"You can do it, Shivette!"

"Are you insane?! There's no way I can do that," she yelled back.

"Just do it . . . or are you scared?"

"I'm not scared," she cried indignantly. As a testament to her outburst, she propelled herself to the middle bar and was left dangling on the equipment again.

"One last time," Robin urged. "Come on!"

He instantly regretted encouraging her as she let go and completely missed the low bar by six feet and crashed into him below.

"Owwww . . ."

"S-Sorry, are you alright?"

She scrambled off him right away and checked his head, arms and chest for signs of bruising or other injuries and sighed in relief when she didn't. It was this moment Robin decided to ask her, "So how was your date last night?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your date," he said nonchalantly, like he wasn't just hit by a flying person, "the one you went on last night. How did it go?"

"It was more of a friendly outing. I told him I had no interest in pursuing a relationship him," Siobhan replied. "He took it very well."

Something in Robin lessened and he felt the corners of his lips pull up into a tiny smile. He quickly stopped himself and sat up. "You sound just like an old lady, Shivette. Has anyone told you that?"

She shook her head and waited for him to continue, dismissing the partial insult in favor of listening to him.

"Well, you talk like my bu-my friend, who's seventy and you kinda dress like him," Robin wasn't going to mention how she acted and cleaned just like Alfred and he was pretty sure his friend wasn't going to happy to know he was used as a comparison to a fourteen year old girl.

"Then I am very sure your friend is a very likeable man," Siobhan said, smiling, "if he is like me."

She dodged a swipe to her arm and laughed out loud. Suddenly she was pulled against Robin's chest and his fist pressed against her head and started twisting.

"Let's see how you do against a noogie then!" They were laughing and shrieking like idiots on the floor and at the end of five minutes, both were disheveled and giggling.

"How dare you call me an old lady," Siobhan said, grinning. She picked herself up and quickly patted down her hair before offering a hand to Robin. When he reached for it, she made a fist and pressed it against his head, effectively returning the noogie he gave her.

"Hey," the Boy Wonder shouted. The offender gave a quick laugh and took off, but she wasn't fast enough to escape Robin. She was just at the front of the door when he splayed his hands on the metal on either side of her.

"That wasn't very nice," he said in a low voice. He saw Siobhan's hand fumble around the metal for a knob or keypad. Her smile disappeared and she was looking at him with something similar to fear or even terror.

(Mount Justice, June 9, 2012. 3:38 p.m)

He promised in Qurac that he wouldn't do things like this again, Siobhan thought angrily.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer, Shivette?" His voice was too close for her liking and an involuntary shiver went down her spine.

"L-Let m-me go," she stammered. "I-I'm w-warning you."

"Go ahead, what are you going to do to me," he asked, seemingly content to keep her trapped against the door.

"This," Siobhan slid her right foot up and aimed for Robin's thigh. Suddenly, he closed the distance between them and leaned forward, their noses almost touching.

"Nice try," he commended. "But I'm Batman's protégé, remember?"

(Mount Justice, June 9, 2012. 3:41 p.m)

It just sort of happened. Why? Because he was an idiot. Robin had only intended to give Siobhan one last noogie when he chased after her, but this worked just as well.

Her eyes were curiously a darker shade than Wally's and were lined with tiny gold flecks, something that he just noticed. Robin was close enough to smell the vanilla and honeysuckle left in her hair, and frankly it was intoxicating.

He kinda liked the way she was being flustered right now. She was usually uptight and quiet, so she rarely displayed any other emotions aside from angry and hungry. But he found her pink cheeks and nervous ticks quite . . . adorable. Scratch that, it was funny. It was funny how he make a nervous wreck out of her in just a few seconds.

Robin's cheeks were beginning to heat up as well, not just from the compromising position but also from the adrenaline coursing through his veins. "So, still want to give me a noogie, Shivette," he managed to say.

"N-No . . ."

He was purposely doing things that were bad for her heart, stepping too close, brushing their fingers, etc. Sooner or later, Siobhan was going to stop feeling embarrassed and clock him in the face, so he might as well have his fun.

"Robin, don't you have something better to do, such as training," she whispered.

"Why," he asked, smirking against her hair. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

" . . . Yes."

"Good," Robin lifted his hands from the door and gently pulled her into a hug as to not frighten her anymore than she already was. "You really are unpredictable," she whispered.

"Not as unpredictable as you," he shot back. She couldn't see it, but his smirk turned into a smile as she returned the gesture.

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji: <strong>I have an obsession with commas and the word 'had', bear with it. Don't worry, Aris and Oswald somehow tie in together the romance thing in the future and I wanna write a beach (*coughfanservicecough*) fanfic where the Team celebrates their first day of no school at the beach. Constructive criticism welcomed, no weird shit though (haters).

I kinda want to put this in here so . . .

_Trivia (Siobhan)_

_Her biochemistry makes her severely allergic to jellyfish toxins._

_Always carries some kind of unnecessary object on her person. (ex. flashlight when it's bright)_

__Despite pre-programmed knowledge about technology, you hand her your phone and you're probably going to get it back as a pile of plastic and silicon dust.__

_Favorite hobby is gardening._

__The original Siobhan had chestnut hair and brown eyes. (but black hair and green eyes are pretty)__

_Her first name was Juliette and her last name was Merlyn and she was not a lab experiment._

Until next time. Review~


	17. Chapter 17

**Shitz-Suji:** hola~ Sorry I haven't updated this whole month, been kinda stressed with the parades and projects the teaches dump on me. Anyways, it kinda dawned on me that in the first season of YJ, M'gann and Conner were in their junior year and since this fanfic takes place a year later, they should be in their senior year here. . . . Crap, I forgot what I was gonna say, so Enjoy~

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><p>(Metropolis, June 12, 2012. 5:26 p.m)<p>

"They haven't aged a day," she whispered. "Not a single one." It had been so long since she had returned to this place, this horrible place which was pretty much responsible for her night terrors. Siobhan languidly traced the cracks in the walls, which she made eight years prior to her current situation. It was where they threw her corpses, all thirteen of them, after they were of no use anymore.

It was where she led Aris's men to in order to protect Dr. Laurent. She may have hated the man, but it was her responsibility to keep him safe. He had spent the last decade in a cryogenic chamber under East Gotham, but Siobhan had enough sense to move him before Aris caught wind of anything. She walked past each of the chamber pods, staring blankly at the mutilated bodies within.

(East Gotham, August 14, 1995.)

"Do it," a small voice whispered. "You'll have one less experiment to worry about, doctor. After all, I will be the first of many failures." The pristine white lab coat belonging to Vincent Laurent was stained with dull red, just as the hospital gown his experiment wore was ripped by the scalpel he held in his hand. In his other hand, he held a revolver pointed at the child's forehead.

She could barely stand after one of the bullets shattered her left leg and another grazed her lungs, leaving her fighting for every breath she took. The doctor wasn't exactly well either, his leg was horribly burned by an electrical fire started by himself and his right shoulder and arm were pierced by sharp icicle, which were still lodged in the limb. With a contemptuous glance at his specimen, he pulled the trigger.

(Metropolis, June 12, 2012. 5:31 p.m )

Siobhan put the plastic mask back on her face right before a swarm of heavily armed men broke through the steel door. She stood in her place as they trained their lasers on her heart and forehead and waited for a particular person to step in. "This is a dangerous game you're playing, Oswald," she said, " and it is one I don't intend to lose."

Instead, Oswald brushed past her, scanning each cryogenic pod for his target. "Where is he," he roared. "Where is Laurent?!" Siobhan calmly deflected a sudden attack from him and kicked him aside into a pile of glass. "You're a bit slow today," she noted. Before the men could take aim and fire at her, she casually snapped her fingers and they were each encased in a block of ice.

"You're a monster, a god damn monster!" Oswald clenched his hands into fists, ignoring the cuts and scratches on his hands that were beginning to bleed. He didn't move even as Siobhan picked him up by his collar and threw him against a cryogenic pod. "How much longer will this continue," he demanded.

"As long as it takes to keep you people away from Dr. Laurent."

"You're not human," Oswald seethed. "I hope you burn in h-"

"I am no more of a human than you are," Siobhan said quietly. "Trampling over others like insects for personal gain. It's superficial, cruel, and revolting. Isn't it even more monstrous than a real monster?" Oswald gritted his teeth, his face contorted with unspoken hatred for the girl in front of him.

"And we are the same," she mused. "We are filled with same ugly stuffing they are, that is what we humans are."

"You're wrong! Wrong!" His fists lit up with fire and he charged towards the cloaked figure in a blinding rage. Instead, an icy blast sent him flying across the room. "If you keep this up, I might end up killing you by accident," Siobhan said. "I wouldn't like that very much."

It was true that Oswald was a genetically engineered experiment created for the sole purpose of researching meta-humans, but over time, Siobhan discovered through their battles that he wasn't fully developed. As an act of pity, she restrained herself from inflicting severe injuries on him as much as possible.

"Let's save this for our next game." With another snap of her fingers, a small dome closed over him, its panels growing brighter as Oswald unleashed his fire on them. Siobhan released the men from their prison and checked their pulses to see if they were alright. With a bit of warm milk and some rest, they should recover. As for their guns and weapons, after she was through of them, they were just another random pile of scrap metal littering the lab.

(Gotham Academy, June 13, 2012. 2:13 p.m)

The last three day three days of school were mostly end of the year parties. The teachers were already busy grading the final exams and the ASB committee were tasked with setting up the Last Bash, a final dance party for students before summer vacation. Today for French, they were watching Romeo and Juliet, in French obviously. But Dick wasn't entirely focused on the epic duel between Tybalt and Mercutio, not when his eyes kept straying over a mop of black hair on the desk next to him.

All week long, he had been visiting the Cave just to hang with the rest of the Team, who were already enjoying their summer vacations. The unpleasant part about those visits were whenever he tried having a decent conversation with Siobhan, he ended saying something stupid to her.

_"You like . . . milk, Shivette?"_

That question was worth a few dozen facepalms.

_" . . . Yeah, I do. But mostly with ice cream. Would you like to try some?"_

Then she held out a spoon of her coffee-flavored treat for him to then, his best friend decided to show up and ruin everything with only one sentence.

_"Hey dude, your fly is unzipped."_

If that wasn't embarrassing enough, his zipper was broken, which explained why it was down in the first place.

Whatever, it wasn't like he actually trying to flirt right? He was given time to rationalize himself and realized it just plain physical attraction. Either that or the denial was strong in him.

(Mount Justice, June 13, 2012. 6:48 p.m)

While everybody else was playing indoor beach volleyball in the mission room, Siobhan was content to stay in the lounge by herself with a milkshake. A good book was sufficient enough to keep her entertained for hours. All her homework was done and stacked neatly on the coffee table along with her textbooks, which were to be returned to the school tomorrow.

_The anterior part of the hall was occupied by the crowd; on the farther end, upon a raised platform, a great number of judges , men with immov-_

"ROBIN, THE BALL, SPIKE IT!"

"TAKE THIS, KALDUR!"

Forcing herself to look back onto the page, she took a sip of her milkshake and reread the sentence again.

_The anterior part of the hall was occupied by the crowd; on the farther end, upon a raised platform, a great number of judges, men with immovable and sinister-looking faces, th-_

"IN YOUR FACE, BOY WONDER! HIGH FIVE, ARTY!"

_men with immovable and sinister-looking faces, the last rows of whom wer-_

"YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE! GO WALLY, IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY, IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!"

_the last rows of whom were scarcely discernible fo-_

"M'GANN, COVER ME!"

_whom were scarcely discernible for the darkness._

Siobhan threw down the book and gulped down her shake. She then picked up her reading material and flipped back onto the page she was on when a loud cheer erupted from the where the game was taking place. If she was going to find out how La Esmeralda's trial was going to end, the sensible thing to do would be to find a quieter place to read.

It was pain to carry all her books back to her room, she couldn't just vaporize them like she did with everything else. Paper and moisture didn't go hand in hand together. Wolf happened to be a great help with moving her things back to her room, so she decided to let him stay for a while before Conner came to feed him and take him out for his walk.

"You wouldn't be noisy, would you," Siobhan cooed. She stroked the fur behind the behemoth canine's ears and settled down on her bed. "So much to do, so little," she sighed. As excited as she was about the storyline, Siobhan didn't even make it past the next page before she clocked out.

(Wayne Manor, June 14, 2012. 1:09 a.m)

_Let me see you _

_stripped down to the bone_

_Metropolis _

_Has nothing on this_

_You're breathing in fumes_

_I taste when we kiss_

"Alfred! Can you bring me a towel please," Dick called. He turned up his stereo and went over to his closet to grab a fresh change of clothes. After a rough night of patrol, nothing called to him more than his bed. He had been punched, kicked, and shot at, not to mention the numerous times he was hit with a volleyball thrown by Wally using his superspeed.

"Master Dick," a muffled voice inquired. The door knob turned and Alfred walked in, holding a large, fluffy towel. The older man glanced at the speakers with disdain and sighed, but he noticeably refrained from making a comment. "Anything else, Master Dick," he asked as Dick took the towel from him.

"No, that's it. 'Night, Alfred."

"Good night, Master Dick."

_Let me hear you _

_Make decisions_

_Without your television_

_Let me hear you speaking_

_just for me_

As he wiped down his hair and chest, his phone suddenly rang. "What now," Dick groaned. He stomped over to his desk, picked up the offending contraption, and hit the answer button. "Hello?"

_"Get to the Cave, I need your help."_

Dick recognized that voice. "Roy," he asked cautiously. The clone hadn't made contact with anybody withing the League or Team for almost a year and suddenly, he was calling to ask for help?

_"I'll meet you at the Cave in five."_

Leave it to Roy to give a completely vague explanation. Dick put down his phone and ran to his closet to grab his civvies. After leaving a brief note on the drawer outside is room for Bruce and Alfred, he sprinted down to the Batcave and passed through the Zeta-Tube. "Three minutes and thirty-two seconds, record time," he mused.

"Watch it, punk. I can make you see stars if you aren't careful," Roy's angry voice bellowed.

"I'd like to see you try when your arms are nothing but ice," came another familiar angry voice.

Typical Roy, always picking fights with the nearest person who was 'untrustworthy'. Dick or now Robin rushed to the briefing hall to find Roy and an apron-clad figure butting heads. One brandished a wicked looking crossbow while the other held a wooden spoon caked with . . . something.

You want to say something? Come. On. Bub." Roy clenched his teeth as the wooden spoon jabbed against his chest with each word, leaving tan marks on his sports jacket. "Mr. Muscle. Head."

"Hey guys," Robin cautiously stepped into the scene with his hands held up. "Mind being a little less loud?" He glanced from Siobhan and eyed her suspiciously. "Why are you still up?"

"I was baking the cake for M'Gann and Conner's graduation party," she snapped. "Until he shot an arrow right through the thing when I was icing it."

"Only because I thought you were an intruder. You should've indentified yourself when I told you to," Roy snapped back. "How was I suppose to know you were a good guy?"

Siobhan gawked at him with a wide-eyed expression. "Who would break into the Cave during the middle of the night to _bake_?"

To this, Roy let out a stressed growl and turned to Robin. "You guys replaced Zatanna with her?" There was a moment of tension between the three of them before Siobhan straightened out her apron and walked away towards the kitchen.

"Be thankful that he arrived, otherwise there would no telling what I would do to you," she whispered threateningly.

"Tchh, what a motor mouth," Roy said spitefully to her retreating back. He pocketed his collapsible crossbow and pulled up the holographic computer. "There are a series of underground labs from East Gotham to Metropolis that were attacked in the past two weeks. The cops are covering them up by saying they were drug labs, but I found this." From his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small rusty metal cylinder. "It's part of a centrifugal pump made for a cryogenic pod."

"So," Robin said, but he already knew where this was going.

"So? They might have iced Speedy, the original Speedy," Roy hissed. "I've been tracking him for over a year now, I know the patterns."

"That's not enough evidence to prove that Speedy's been iced. Heck, how do you even know he's in a cryo-pod?" Robin eyed the older male with a glance and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Roy, we've all looked for Speedy. Aquaman searched across the oceans, Grean Arrow, Batman, and the whole J.L checked everywhere else. He's . . . gone."

"No, he's not!" Roy grabbed his bow and quiver and stormed towards the Zeta-Tubes. He eyed Robin with one last angry glance before he passed through the turbines. With no mission objective, it was safe to assume that the Boy Wonder could return home now and catch some Zs.

(Mount Justice, June 14, 2012. 1:27 a.m)

She worked so hard on that cake and now it was ruined, splattered on the tile walls of the kitchen. Siobhan grumbled angrily as she wiped up the bits of icing and cake stuck in the crevices between the tiles. Next time she saw him, he would get a reckoning.

Now she had to start all over again. Did he know how long it takes to make a cake big enough to feed everyone, including Wally? As soon as Siobhan gathered enough cake onto a small paper plate, she put her fingers to her mouth and whistled as loud as possible. It took a few minutes, but sure enough Wolf came, running as quickly as he could to get to the food.

"Good Wolf, eat up," she whispered. No sense in just dumping the mess into the trashcan, especially when M'gann would see it the next morning. While Wolf was eating, she went over to the counter, picked up her spoon, an- That was how she came to spend twenty minutes trying to pull out the arrow that man left in the wall, the blasted thing was embedded so far down the concrete that she had to resort to widening the hole to take it out.

After that, she glanced at the clock and gave a startled hiss. It took four hours to bake a cake large enough to feed a speedster, how could she possibly bake another one before dawn? But first, there was the matter of that nosy archer to take care of. If he found out anything concerning her, then he'd just be another loose end she had to take care of.

(Gotham Academy, June 14, 2012. 4:04 p.m)

"See ya, Dick! You better come to Last Bash tomorrow!"

"'Kay, Babs! See ya!" With a smile, Dick grabbed his backpack and high-tailed it out of the Academy where Alfred was waiting with the car. Today was Megan and Conner's graduation ceremony, which was going to end in the biggest surprise party the Team could throw. Literally the entire J.L (except those who have board meetings or on missions) was coming to celebrate.

If only traffic would hurry up though.

By the time Dick made it back to the manor, he only had enough time to take a quick shower right before he grabbed his bag of presents and zeta-ed to the Cave. "I'm here," he shouted. "Let's get this party . . . started."

The Cave echoed with the scratchy notes of swing music and Sphere suddenly rolled away to who-knows-where at the sound of his voice while Wolf was busy cleaning something on his paw. As for the music, not to be frank, but Robin only knew one person who listened to that stuff and he was back home dusting the library.

There was some incoherent muttering and whirring coming from the kitchen and then a loud clang. "Who's here? Robin?" The speaker paused for a second and continued on. "Wasn't he suppose to be with others keeping M'gann and Conner out of the Cave . . . . I don't care if he had to save the world, get him out of here!"

While Sphere and Siobhan were arguing, Robin took the opportunity to leave his his presents besides a whole pile of them and straighten his jacket. He was just going to check in on the cook and ask where everyone else was. But when he got to the kitchen . . .

The counters were spotless and the floor was so clean that if Robin looked close enough, he could see his reflection. But the mess wasn't exactly gone either. From the used bowls to the platters of food, everything was levitated on a chunk of ice and suspended near the ceiling by none other than the cook who was kinda staring at him.

Sphere took her cue to leave, nearing running Robin over in the process. Then, an apron was thrown at him. "Put that on," Siobhan commanded, even though Robin never offered to help in the first place. "Since you're here now, I need you to prepare the dip and lay out the cookies and brownies on a platter."

"But-"

"Are you just going to stand there or or you going to help," she demanded suddenly, "If you're not, then get out of the kitchen."

Four trays of cookies and brownies arranged themselves neatly on the counter. "You made all of these," Robin asked incredulously. They didn't look half bad and in fact, they smelled quite delicious.

"Who else would?" She scoffed and wiped her hands on a nearby towel. "Wally?" Robin rolled his eyes and put on the frilly apron.

Though this wasn't part of the plan, Robin dutifully cut up the vegetables, grated the cheese, and with much difficulty, made a six layer dip that would've made Alfred proud. As for the pastries, he found a creative way to arrange them in an awesome pattern.

"Check it out, I'm done," He proudly pointed at his finished work and took a step back to let Siobhan admire his culinary skills. Instead, she skipped over to the cookie platters and deadpanned. There were six trays of pastries, each arranged to form a large 'R' in a circle when placed together.

"Too much," he asked.

"Too much," she replied. She wordlessly returned to her task of frosting a multi-decker cake with ice cream. When her back was turned, Robin instinctively stuck his tongue out at her and blew a silent raspberry. He worked hard on arranging the pastries and in the end, he needed to do it over again.

But first, he went over to the small CD player Siobhan brought into the kitchen and turned it off. It was kinda getting on his nerves, especially when the trumpets started blasting. From then on, they worked in total silence.

(Mount Justice, June 14, 2012. 4:56 p.m)

The music was off. Of course, he would turn the music off. Siobhan couldn't just turn it back on because then Robin would turn it back off again. She also couldn't start a conversation with him. That option was a no-go.

Of course, her remaining option would the stifling, awkward atmosphere that was swallowing her sanity with each second. Unlike the closet incident, she couldn't just fall asleep nor can she threaten anyone. Worst of all, she was alone in the Cave with _him_.

What happened to kicking him out? There was plenty of time left before the ceremony, she could have handle things by herself. Instead, her mouth had to open before her brain could give the order. "Put on the apron, Robin. Make the dip, Robin," she muttered.

"What," asked the person she was thinking about. Even though he back was turned to him, Siobhan vividly picture the smirk he had on his face and she dearly wanted nothing more than to crouch down and eat ice cream.

"Nothing," she snapped. "Get back to work."

"Whatever."

"Whatever," Siobhan mimicked silently. Her hands moved deftly across each layer of the cake, spreading large quantities of white sugar over the lumpy imperfections. It was about time she finished the cake, which she would've if were not for a rude archer.

"Hey Shivette, come here," She sighed and put down the butter knife. Robin waved her over from the island counter where six trays of cookies and brownies were arranged together as . . . a snowflake.

"Like it," he asked, smirking. "I was inspired by those." He pointed up at the small glaciers floating above their heads and snatched a cookie from a platter before popping it into his mouth.

"Make sure you don't eat all of them, I want to save some for the party too, you know," Siobhan barely stopped a smile from crossing her face before she picked up the tub of frosting and her knife again. When the cake was completely smothered with the stuff, she grabbed the bag of icing from the fridge and made as many roses as she possibly could.

Suddenly, a finger swiped one of the flowers of the cake and chuckled. Without even turning around, Siobhan gave a sharp smack to that person's chest and was about to recreate the rose when his hand grabbed her wrist.

"That's not the right way to do it," he said tauntingly. Siobhan winced as Robin tightened his grip on her helpless limb and quickly swiped off her hard work with the butter knife.

Once the cake was 'blank' again, he let her go and grabbed the bag of icing from her. After half a minute, the only thing Siobhan was able to say was, "wow". It looked so realistic and she would have mistaken it for a real rose if it were not for the blue coloring of the petals. "Here, you try," Robin tossed the bag back to her and took a step back.

A minute later, the only thing she managed to create was something akin to a misshapen blue blob. Compared to Robin's handiwork, it was safe to assume that she should hand him back the bag.

"You suck at this," Robin commented. She only nodded her head in agreement as she scooped the misshapen thing off the cake. Suddenly, he stepped behind her, one hand pressed down on the dolly under the cake and the other placing the bag of icing back in her hands.

"Wha-"

"Shhh~" Robin pushed up his shades and smirked. "I'm gonna teach you." His hands covered hers as he positioned the tip of the bag on a part of the pastry and squeezed gently. "See, you gotta tap the bud like this and spread it," he said, voice entirely too close for comfort.

"I-I see," Siobhan squeaked. She was not prepared for when Robin chuckled, his voice dropping down to a baritone as he leaned over her shoulder to get better look.

"Now, to make a petal, first . . ." Robin trailed off all of a sudden and clenched her right hand. "Are you listening?"

"Yes, yes. Continue on," she said hurriedly. Things were getting worst for her. Her face felt hot, her hands were cold, and the rest of her was rather warm. Too warm.

Siobhan had to remind herself that this boy was off limits. Romance was off limits. He wanted another. He belonged to another. It wouldn't be right to think . . . those things about him.

(Mount Justice, June 14, 2012. 5:19 p.m)

"Steady, Shivette," Two more petals to go and they would be done. Sure, the whole process to make a rose took about five minutes, but at least the job was getting done. Robin adjusted his arm and pressed closer against Siobhan in order to retain his grip on her hands which was quite difficult when they were ice cold and shaking.

He disregarded the fact that her breathing just quickened and quickly dabbed at the last petal. "There, we're done~"

Instantly, Siobhan disengaged herself from Robin, red-faced and shaking, before brushing off some nonexistent dust on her person. Suddenly, every food item suspended on the glaciers lowered themselves onto the counter and dissolved into a dense, grey mist. "I-I-I'm going to d-decorate," came a small whisper. "Y-You finish up here."

"Ok," he replied. Robin looked back down at the cake before taking a glimpse of the girl, who disappeared amongst the foggy cloud. It was difficult to keep himself in check. Usually when a girl liked him, there was no hesitation, no restraint. Of course, those relationships on lasted about . . . two, three weeks and served as his rebound from Zatanna.

As Robin recalled, during that brief period of time, his face was plastered on every major tabloid, T.V channel, and blog. Scandals erupted everywhere and Bruce took to great lengths to contain the media. Then December came and he met Siobhan. Malnourished and emotionally damaged, she never mattered much to him except as a nut case who needed constant supervision.

So he was quite shocked when she actually turned out to be pretty. That and her crazy temper literally singled her out from the rest of the crowd. With her Robin didn't need to hold back during training. If he felt like it, he'd probably send Siobhan to the emergency room with him accompanying on another stretcher.

In comparison, Zatanna had always been the damsel in distress. If her magic wasn't enough to get her out of a sticky situation, it was his job to rescue her. She only sparred with him if Black Canary made it so after training and was hardly a match for him. On the other hand, Zatanna was the polar opposite of Siobhan, optimistic and outgoing. She'd be the first to initiate a kiss and first to stop it before it got too far . . . T.M.I.

The sound of glass breaking snapped him out of his musings. By then, almost the entire cake was decorated with roses. Robin exchanged his almost empty bag of icing for a another and drew a diploma in the center of the first layer of the cake.

In the lounge, icicles hung from the ceilings in rings, the skylights pointed at them to produce a makeshift aurora. At the center of the arrangement was a giant mirror ball spinning slowly by itself. The effect, in general, was plain awesome.

"Are you done yet," asked Siobhan. She condensed back into herself and strolled over to the cake. When she had nothing to say about the decoration of the pastry, Robin smirked and took it as his cue of a job well done. For a quick snack, he squirted a mouthful of icing into his mouth, enjoying the delightful sugary taste that Bruce never liked.

"Stop that, that is not for you," The bag of icing was snatched from his hand and he found himself face to face with Siobhan, who was glaring at him. "Suppose the cake or the cookies, or heaven forbid, the brownies needed more icing on top and you happened to have eaten all of it," Siobhan blabbered on, ignoring his deadpanned attitude towards her, "Perhaps Wonder Woman wanted som-_mmph_"

"You're welcome," Robin drawled. While touching the girl was almost like signing your own death warrant, he made do with the almost empty bag of icing that was laying in the counter and stuck it in her open mouth. It was ingenious compared to that cliche, outdated method of kissing a girl to shut her up.

Suddenly, a stream of blue splattered on his face, covering his glasses and coating his bangs with icing. Oh right, Siobhan had the other bag of icing too, oops. "Don't. You. Ever. Do. That. Again," she said threateningly. She brushed past Robin with the contaminated nozzle and thrust it into water in the sink.

(Mount Justice, June 14, 2012. 5:35 p.m)

He had to leave. Siobhan couldn't handle the stress of being in the same room with him anymore. Shoving something like that into her mouth, she could have choked or worst, ruptured the bag with her teeth.

And the most frightening thing about this was how Siobhan's view of Robin didn't change. At all. He was still the boy with the magnetic personality and the mischievous smirk and his laughter was contagious. Somehow, even his undesirable qualities were endearing to her. And he was undeniably handso-

Siobhan snapped out of it, horror-stricken at what her thoughts were heading towards.

"R-Robin, you need to le-"

"Hold it, you got icing in your hair," he said, walking to her. Just like that, her legs abandoned their flight or fight reflex and she stood rooted to the ground like a slack-jawed idiot.

"You h-haven't gotten the icing of your face," she said stupidly. Mother of creation, please send thy monsters to smite thee, she prayed.

"I know," Robin reached for the locks of hair in her face and tucked them behind her ear. With this, every sensible thought in Siobhan's mind melted in a puddle of goo. She never noticed the impish smirk tugging at his lips or the furrowing of his eyebrows when a icing dirtied hand smeared across her face.

"How dare you," she shrieked. With a snap of her fingers, cold ice rushed down through the back of Robin's hoodie. Vengeance was best served cold indeed.

While Siobhan gloating over this small victory, she failed to keep a tight enough grip on the bag of icing and gasped when it was stolen from her. If she couldn't ask him to leave, then she'd kick him out herself.

Robin had an obvious advantage, he was bigger and stronger than she was and faster to boot. The slippery bastard (pardon her french) managed to get icing all over her without getting dirty in the process. Eventually, she accumulated enough the stuff to form a small ball and managed to hold Robin down long enough to smear blue all over his front.

"Enough," Siobhan snatched the bag icing from his hand and held it at a safe distance where he couldn't get at it. "We're behaving like children, it's impro-" Of course, the Mother of creation would deign to cause her to loose her footing at this time.

"Improper? You really need to find some new vocab, Shivette," Thanks to Robin's lightening fast reflexes, Siobhan could count her stars that she didn't fall. But at what cost? Her sanity?

This was too close, even for him. She could feel the shoulder muscles that rippled when she blindly reached and grabbed. "S-Sorry, now let's clean this mess up," she pulled Robin's hand away from her waist and clapped her hands weakly. The clumps of icing around them suddenly hardened and fractured into smaller pieces.

Siobhan pushed the trashcan forward and waited as the mess disposed itself into the metal bin. "I-I'm going to change," she excused herself and sprinted for her room at the first chance she got.

(Mount Justice, June 14, 2012. 5:51 p.m)

A nice long shower was all it took to rid the icing from Siobhan's hair and face. Unfortunately, the clothes she was planning to wear for the graduation ceremony were ruined thanks that meat-head. As she was polishing her boots, a quiet knock on her door shook her from her thoughts.

"Shivette, I just want to say I'm sorry. You know . . . for messing you up," came a muffled voice.

"Well, a sorry can't reverse time, can it," she mumbled.

"I heard that," Robin quipped.

Right, Siobhan forgot that he was Batman's protege. She stormed over to the door and opened the door with the intent to drive him away when one glimpse of him automatically changed her mind.

SLAM!

"What are you doing," Robin called.

"Averting my eyes!"

He didn't have a shirt on. Oh, why didn't he run around naked as well? The surveillance cameras would love to get a look at that.

"Awww, is Shivette scared of little ol' m-"

"Come back to apologize when you have something decent on your back," Siobhan shouted. Honestly, this boy was out to get her. At this rate, she'd be back in Arkham before her next birthday.

It didn't take very long for him to knock on her door again. She went over and unlocked the blasted thing before he gave up and let himself in. "Apology accepted. Now head back to your room and don't leave until it is time for the ceremony."

"No way," he said, brushing past Siobhan and flopping face first down onto her bed. "I wanna hang here until we go."

Siobhan snorted in derision, "What part of improper don't you get?"

"That it's old fashioned and we don't live in England during the 1870s," Robin sat up and crossed his legs. "You're not going to the ceremony in that, are you?"

He was referring to the frumpy tank top and shorts she was wearing since she officially ran out of wearable clothing. In her opinion, it didn't look so bad. She just needed her boots to complete the look. But with Robin scrutinizing her, it was undoubtedly hideous.

"That is not your business," she retorted. "I don't see you dressed in a ball gown, so why should I?"

(Mount Justice, June 14, 2012. 6:01 p.m)

The ceremony starts in thirty minutes and sooner or later, they were going to get a phone from Wally urging them to hurry and get their butts down to Happy Harbor High. Robin was already dressed and ready to go. He wore a causal black polo and dark jeans with his usual sneakers which was considerably more appropriate than what Siobhan was wearing.

"Get up, we don't have enough time, so I'm gonna have to find something that works for you," This was one of the benefits of being one of Gotham's elites. An impeccable sense of style fueled by years of preparing for balls, galas, and charity events.

"Go ahead," Siobhan laughed mirthlessly, "I don't think I have much in my closet anyways." And she was totally right. In her wardrobe were three clean sets of uniforms, a sweater, and two dresses. The dresses will do.

"How about this one," he held up the midnight blue dress she wore for Valentine's day against him and Siobhan chortled. Right, he was dude.

"I seem to recall it was M'gann graduating, not you," she said in between laughs.

"Quit laughing and for your information, I probably could pull it off," he replied. When Robin returned to the manor, he needed to remind himself to punch the wall a few times to regain his manliness.

"Well, it's too formal."

Robin quickly hung the garment back up and grabbed the other dress. It was the one she wore on the night she 'confessed'. An excessively modest number with a lace trimmed skirt and a high collar in the front, or at least that was how it looked like until he remembered the back.

"Put this on," he ordered.

"I hardly think-"

"Just do it," he said as he got off the bed to leave . "We got less than twenty minutes left."

(Happy Harbor High School, June 14, 2012. 6:34 p.m)

The others were already in their seats by the time Robin and Siobhan arrived. They shrugged it off as complications with the food and ignored every comment Wally made about them.

As the graduating seniors walked towards their seats, Wally edged closer to Robin and whispered, "what were you guys really doing?"

It was Wally's way of fishing for dirt on them to use when he teased them later. Robin wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of doing so and remained silent through the entire ceremony, cheering only when M'gann and Conner received their diplomas.

By then, Martian Manhunter and Superman arrived (as their alter egos) with a heap of bouquets and balloons. If Robin looked all around, the J.L was already here, disguised as normal civilians. He spotted Green Arrow and Black Canary, who was chatting with Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. Captain Marvel was enjoying an ice cream cone with the Flash and Aquaman for some reason.

As the ceremony closed with a short speech from the Principal, Siobhan and Kaldur mysteriously disappeared from their seats. Robin knew they were heading back to the Cave to set up the party before everyone arrived.

Once the confetti cannons and the fireworks started going off, the graduates were free to get up from their seats and look for their family members. For M'gann and Conner, their entire family literally came.

"Thanks guys, these flowers are so pretty," M'gann gushed. Conner wasn't exactly thrilled with the armful of daisies he received, but he graciously accepted them and posed for pictures with Superman (Clark Kent).

"Hey, we got one more surprise for you guys," Raquel trilled. "Come on!" She exchanged looks with Artemis and Wally before leading the crowd on a short trip to the deserted piers. "Alright, we're ready," she bellowed.

"Ready for what," Conner looked around suspiciously when a gust of wind blew past him. The water below them swirled into a large whirl pool and from it, a dozen or so chariots made of ice erupted from the spray. Everybody turned to look at Aquaman, who simply smiled with pride as he pointed to the beach in front of Mount Justice.

On the shore was Kaldur and Siobhan, arms linked together to concentrate on this spectacular display of their powers. "That is way awesome," Wally crowed. "Totally awesome!" He and Artemis were the first to jump on one of the chariots and immediately shot off like a bullet over the water.

Amazingly enough, Kaldur managed to create something similar to a reverse waterfall. Pieces of ice floated above the air like a blanket and reflected the light coming from the setting sun, which Wonder Woman couldn't resist running her hand through.

Artemis and Wally ushered everybody inside the Cave where the biggest rave party awaited them. "To the graduates," Superman held his drink up high to toast the graduates and everybody followed suit.

"Let's party!"

Even though it was a rave, there was a nacho eating contest, musical chairs, and karaoke. Some, like Superman who couldn't dance to save his life grabbed a microphone and began belting out the lyrics to songs that nobody knew. Flash and Green Arrow had a bizarre dance off to see who could 'get down' before hunger struck.

"Hey Robin, where's Shivette," Wally called over the music. "I wanna give her a piece of cake before I . . . eat it."

"She's not here?" Robin looked through the small crowd. She wasn't with M'gann and any of the women from the Leauge nor was she on the dance floor showing off. His guess was that she probably got tired and went to bed. Oh well, that just meant more cake to eat.

(Happy Harbor, June 14, 2012. 9:21 p.m)

"You're lucky to be alive, little pest," Siobhan viciously kicked at semi-frozen body on the ground and spat in disgust. "You should have followed the rules like a good boy and stuck to your mother, Oswald."

He gave a weak moaned and tried to get up, but Siobhan grabbed a hank of his hair and pulled. "What did you intend to do here? Destroy my friends? My home?"

She wasn't usually this violent, but rage knew no bounds when her life as she knew it was in jeopardy. As of now, Oswald barely had enough strength to prop his arm up, let along start a fire. When Siobhan caught him snooping around the town before the ceremony, she locked him up inside an abandoned warehouse and let him stay there until she had enough time to deal with him.

But something snapped inside her when he mentioned the Team. She beat him halfway to death with her own fists and managed to stop herself only when he was beginning to bleed from his wounds.

"I-I-I g-got a m-message for y-you," Oswald reached inside his ruined coat jacket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It was in fact, a playing card with a picture of . . . a joker and the imprint of lipstick on the back.

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> I remember now. Thank you guys for reading this. ***nervous laugh*** I never really expected to get more than twenty reviews since it was my first fanfiction. ***Arigato-Gozaimasu*** (Sorry, I didn't update this before Thanksgiving)

The song playing from Robin's stereo is Stripped - Shiny Toy Guns.

It was hard writing for Siobhan this time, don't know why. It's probably the self-denial thing which kinda sets of the whole awkward tension thing that only she feels. As for Robin, yeah . . . he's a flirt . . . and a troll. I'm not sure how dudes act after their first love, but it was fun putting myself in the shoes of a hormonal teenage dude with lots of money. LOL.

And the next chapter brings back three of my favorite Batman villains! WHOO-HOO! Review~


	18. Chapter 18

**Shitz-Suji**: Marching season has ended and I'm on winter break, finally! Sorry I wasn't able to update sooner, but my teachers were throwing tests, reports, and homework at me like tennis balls. Enjoy~

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><p>(Wayne Manor, June 20, 2012. 8:15 a.m)<p>

Pain.

Pain everywhere.

Dick clutched his head, the throbbing sensation felt like somebody was drilling a hole in his skull. He felt hot and sticky all over, the three or so layers of clothing he wore was too much to tolerate, so he stripped them off before tunneling under his covers again. There. Much better.

Until it got too hot again.

Darn it, he needed an ice pack and some aspirin. Dick knew Bruce kept a drawer full of the little white tablets in his study for 'reasons'. When he wasn't patrolling the streets of Gotham as a vigilante, he was partying at some club and drinking shots like water, which was why Bruce needed them. Alfred's advice to prevent hangovers was to stop drinking so much in the first place, but Bruce was Bruce.

Stumbling off the bed with some difficulty, Dick used the headboard as a crutch and made it as far to his lamp before he had a coughing fit. Right then Alfred walked in, carrying his breakfast on a silver platter as Dick used some colorful language taken from Bruce's vocabulary.

"Master Dick," Alfred scolded. "we do not use improper language like that!" Nevertheless, the old man put the platter on his desk and helped back to his bed. "Do be careful next time," he said.

Despite the woozy feeling in his head, Dick let out a wry chuckle before pulling the covers over his head.

"What is so funny?" Alfred carried the tray over to him and set it on the bed. From his pocket he produced a thermometer and stuck it in the boy's mouth.

"She'd say the exact same thing . . . just like you," Dick mumbled. "She's crazy."

Alfred smiled warmly, but he was more concerned about his temperature as he took the thermometer back and examined it. "Good heavens, 38.7 celsius. I must make a call to Dr. Hayes' office immediately," the butler announced.

"But I don't ne-"

"Stay where you are and enjoy your breakfast, Master Dick. I shall be back shortly."

(Mount Justice, June 20, 2012. 8:37 a.m)

It was such a nice day out. The sun was shining and the fresh mountain air was tinged with scent of seawater which was why Siobhan was training outside rather than in the Cave. While the rest of the Team was 'hanging out' or sleeping in, Siobhan was going to spend the day developing an experimental technique with her powers.

The theory behind the technique was a force field similar to the energy fields that Raquel put out, but was not limited to just one target nor will it require much concentration. If the technique was perfected, then Siobhan wouldn't have to randomly point and shoot at the enemy anymore during actual combat.

But for it to work, it required much energy and water. The tides began to condense into fog and rolled onto the beach. From there, it condensed even further into small flecks of ice, which were, in theory, tiny blades. Of course, Siobhan was not intending to develop this technique for the purpose of killing, it was more of a precaution against Aris and her men.

She now knew the woman had allies, the Joker, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy, her makeshift 'family' in Arkham after Oswald had made her aware of it, though at the cost of his own life. About four days after their encounter, his mutilated corpse was discovered at a playground in a local park in Gotham. There was no doubt that it was Aris's handiwork for there was a gash cut across his neck, leaving a mark similar to the scar on her neck.

Suddenly, the little blades swarming around Siobhan collapsed back into water and she cursed out loud.

Maybe the technique would require a little more concentration.

(Gotham City, June 20, 2012. 10:19 a.m)

"Open your mouth like this . . . say 'ahhhhhhh'," Dr. Hayes briefly examined Dick's mouth after checking his pulse, his blood pressure, and hearing. The verdict was plain and simple:

"He has a cold," he said, turning to Alfred. "I recommend that he takes the cold medicine I will prescribe and drink plenty of liquids. He should avoid stressful activities and rest."

"Of course," the butler agreed. "How long will the fever last?"

Dr. Hayes scratched his head thoughtfully with his pen. "About a day . . . a day and half at most." He pulled out a small notepad and scribbled something on it before ripping off the page and handing it to Alfred.

"Feel better, kiddo," Dick scowled at the childish term of endearment. He was fourteen for god sakes, not a ten year old who still needed to be potty trained. Nevertheless, he waved goodbye to Doctor Hayes and followed Alfred out of his office.

They stopped at the pharmacy to pick up his prescription and at Alfred's urging, ordered ice cream from the Baskin Robbins across the street.

"Mister Wallace did say ice cream tasted better when you are sick," he said cheerfully.

However, not even birthday cake flavored ice cream could alleviate the nauseous feeling he had and finally, three-fourths way back home, he rushed out of the car, ran through traffic to get to the nearest trash can where he emptied out the contents of his stomach.

(Mount Justice, June 20, 2012. 11:27 a.m)

Siobhan was able to hold the technique for seven minutes now, a large improvement over the ten seconds she was capable of three hours ago. During that time span, she had quickly figured out that the swarm of ice could be controlled indirectly by instinct, or manually by incorporating it with her movements.

While the blades were to small to be seen, they were able to reflect the sunlight in such a way that Siobhan felt like she was enclosed in a mirror ball. If this wasn't training, she would have been content to sit there and stare at the glittering flecks for hours.

"Imagination is key," she muttered. "Imagination is key. Imagination is key. Imagina-"

The swarm of little blades suddenly dropped downward and cut deep ridges into the beach around where she was standing. Strands of seaweed were neatly shredded to pieces while the sand began to collapse back into the ridges. "Oi," Siobhan groaned.

"Training hard," a cheerful asked from behind her. Even with her back turned, Siobhan could still see Megan with her red hair and bright smile.

"I-I just wanted to ask if you wanted to go shopping with Conner and me, you know, and then go to an art museum with us," she chirped.

"Alright." Siobhan could use a well-deserved break right now. She was hungry, tired, and cold, and the idea of spending the day with friends did sound nice. The ice faltered and fell back onto the beach as water and vapor, leaving the sand unbelievably cold after the temperature of the water settled in.

"Really," Megan asked in disbelief. "I'll go get Conner right now!"

Though Siobhan was well aware that Megan hadn't expected her to say 'yes' so easy, she didn't want to disturb Conner since . . . since he was not the happiest person in the morning. But ten minutes later, he was up, had brushed his teeth, and changed. The difference in his attitude must come from Megan, she concluded. Definitely Megan.

"Let's go shopping first! I know this great shop where we can find you both some summer clothes!" Megan spun into the briefing hall, her casual fushia cardigan and skirt melding into a flattering white sundress with flowers embroidered at the hem. Conner followed in after, his expression a mix of contentment and slight concern.

(Wayne Manor, June 2012, 11:54 a.m)

"Master Dick, I insist that you take the medicine."

"I don't . . . don't wanna," Dick grumbled with much difficulty. " . . . Tastes like crap."

"Master Dick!"

"Leave me alone, Alfred." He buried his whole body under the comforter, turned away from the butler, and assumed the fetus position. All this babying was suffocating and it was already hard enough to breath properly.

"But Master Dick-"

"I said GO!"

Alfred politely bowed and turned on his heels, leaving the bottle of medicine on his nightstand before leaving. As soon as he was gone, Dick fumbled out of bed and reached for his phone on his shelf.

He grabbed a change of clothes from his closet and left a brief note for Alfred to let him know he was going to be gone for a while. "Glasses, gotta get the glasses." He was going to keep them on no matter how much of a headache they were going to give him.

While Alfred was preoccupied in the kitchen with lunch, Dick took the opportunity to sneak down to the Batcave. He disconnected all tracking systems embedded in his phone, his utility belt, his mp3, etc so Alfred wouldn't be able to guess where he went.

Key word: Guess.

Dick jumped into the Zeta-Tubes before he wasted anymore time. Before he arrived the the Cave, he made some phony stops at Fawcett City, Central City, and Dakota City to throw off Alfred when he learned of his disappearance.

By the time he was actually at the Cave, he felt close to fainting and the urge to run to a trashcan was strong.

Can't throw up on an empty stomach, he thought.

(Metropolis, June 20, 2012. 12:17 p.m)

"Ooh, that looks good on you," Megan beamed, clearly enjoying 'bonding time'. "Conner, you like it?"

The unfortunate Kryptonian stepped out of the dressing room in a form fitting t-shirt and khaki shorts. He didn't look so bad, in fact, most of the female employees were gawking at him as he walked over to the mirror.

"It's fine," he said.

Siobhan was still browsing the racks of clothes when Megan suddenly came up to her with a bundle in her arms. Dresses, shirts, blouses, pants, she had them all.

"How's this?" She held up a purple dress with a pleated skirt.

"I think the skirt looks . . . odd."

"How about this?"

"The color is too bright."

"This?"

"Too short."

"That's your personal preference, you're wearing this one." Megan handed her the dress and pushed her towards the dressing room. "You're not coming out until I see you in that dress," she said laughing.

Inside, Siobhan eyed the offending garment warily and examined it before she stripped. The bust seemed like it was too form-fitting, either that or it would crush her chest if she put it on, and the skirt was too short, entirely too short for any sane person to wear.

She supposed Megan had chosen it because of its color and details: mint green with a modest neckline, but it was meant for a more mature person, not her.

"Are you done yet," Megan called from the outside.

"It doesn't fit," she fibbed. "The sleeves are sagging."

There was a long stretch of silence before Siobhan heard the click-clack of Megan's shoes walking away.

"Be right back, I need to look for Conner!"

Reluctantly, Siobhan stepped out of the changing room and hung the rejected dress on a nearby rack. She couldn't wait until this -this torture- was over, so she could be on her way to enjoying the dignified art of appreciating art.

(Mount Justice, June 20, 2012. 12:48)

"Dude? Where are you?" Wally bounced through the Zeta-Tubes with jovial spring and started looking for Robin.

The first place he looked was where he found him, in the lounge watching infomercials. "Turn it off, will ya? I feel like someone put my head in the oven," Robin swore, rolling over on his seat on the couch.

"Aw man, so this was why Alfred called me," Wally shook his head and sighed. He switched off the television and with much difficulty, carried Robin back to his room in the Cave.

Truth to be told, he didn't want to be , his best friend was sick with a fever, but Robin was a bit of a . . . dick when he was sick. He made outrageous demands, cursed like a sailor, and was generally obnoxious.

"Come on, dude. Get to bed and I'll get you your medicine," he cooed.

"Lemme go, you ass! Or I'll have Batman come here and whip it for you," Robin suddenly went limp on his back, except that his arms tightened all of a sudden around his neck, choking him.

Oh god, he should have just let his phone go to voice mail.

Wally shuffled to Robin's room, unlatched his arms, and dumped on his bed. The Boy Wonder immediately took to hugging his pillow like his life depended on it when Wally unfolded his comforter.

"You know, you're going to overheat if you keep doing that," he said in irritation.

"But it's so cold."

"Only because you're sick," The red-head yanked it away from him and tucked him in under the blanket. "Don't move, ok? I'm going be right back with some ice packs and towels."

Nevertheless, he tried, but failed, as Wally wrestled him back on to the bed and tucked the ends of the comforter under his bed to restrain his movement.

"Damn it, Wally! I thought you'd be cool," Robin howled after he left.

When he got back, Robin had managed to free himself from the binding, but assumed the fetus position muttering, "it's too hot". Wally put the ice packs and the wet towels on his desk and flipped his friend over. "Ok man, I think you should take off the hoodie," he said.

Thankfully, Robin complied and took off the hoodie . . . along with the shirts he was wearing.

"Ew, gross," Wally groaned, wincing He had seen Robin shirtless many times before, it was just that when he was sick, he tended to be more sweatier.

"Give me the damn towels, Wally. I'm suffocating here," he yelled.

(Metropolis, June 20, 2012. 1:08 p.m)

It took about twenty minutes to walk to the art museum, but they weren't going in yet. Megan said they had to wait for somebody who had a pass, somebody that they all knew.

Meanwhile, Siobhan managed to hold her shopping bags in a comfortable position. At least now, she mused, she had enough clothes to fill her wardrobe, thanks to Batman's money card. Conner had bought considerably less clothing than her, but he was piled high with bags as well.

"Who is this person again," she asked for the nth time. "Is he or she from the Justice League?"

"Wait and find out," Megan replied with a twinkle in her eye.

The person that they were all waiting for turned out to be a rather large man wearing glasses, a loose suit, and a fedora. He looked unnaturally calm as he got off the bus and helped a woman off after.

"Megan, Conner, how are you," he greeted with a bright smile. However, the woman walked towards her and held out her hand to shake. "Lois Lane, nice to meet you."

"Siobhan Laurent," she shook the woman's hand uncertainly and remained silent until the man turned his attention to her.

"You must be Siobhan, I've heard a lot from you, especially from Megan here," Megan's cheeks turned to a pale red color as they all turned to look at her. "She told me that you're a book person, right," he asked.

"Yes," she replied, aghast that a stranger would know something like that about her. "Who are you?"

Everybody, including Conner laughed. "Clark Kent, I'm a reporter from the Daily Planet looking to get a scoop on the new Tiepolo Gallery," he pushed up his glasses and grinned excitedly at the entrance of the museum.

Something about this man seemed familiar, Siobhan might have seen him on the news or the paper. Definitely on the news, but when? If she took away the smile and the fedora, he was most recognizable as-

"Superman," she whispered.

Conner and Clark shot knowing grins at her while the latter put a finger to his lips and winked. When the introductions were finished, they all entered the museum and waited as Lois and Clark fished out their press passes and bought tickets for the rest of them..

"I want to go see Abraham and the Three Angels first," Clark said excitedly. "The majesty of the painting is said to capture the essence of the Renaissance."

He probably meant to say the Rococo painting style, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo lived during the Rococo or the 'late baroque' art movement in the early 18th century. His works were featured in galleries in Italy, Spain, and Germany.

Nonetheless, the painting was as spectacular as Clark had imagined. The brush strokes and the shadows of the clouds in the background highlighted Abrham and the angels beautifully.

"Wow," Clark pulled out his notepad and began scribbling down notes. Megan and Conner stared thoughtfully at the painting while Lois fumbled for her notepad and pen from her purse. Siobhan only saw the textbook caption she had seen when she first saw the picture in a book. Though it was much more breathtaking in real life, the picture still portrayed one prominent emotion Siobhan felt when she first saw it: repentance.

They had moved on to Tiepolo's other paintings, Apollo and Daphne, Meeting of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra, and Eteokles and Polyneikes.

"That's beautiful," Megan gushed as they walked by another, less famous painting of Tiepolo's. Lois and Clark only nodded their head in agreement while Conner stopped to read the little plaque below it.

"What's it say," Clark asked, his pen poised to write down whatever it was onto his notepad.

"It's called the Death of Hyacinth, the start date is 1752 and the completion date is 1753," he replied.

"What about you? Do you have anything to add," Lois asked kindly. "You've been as quiet as a mouse since we walked in"

"It is a mythological painting," Siobhan stopped to think about what she was going to say, lest she said something wrong. "It depicts Hyacinth dying as Apollo grieves over the future loss of his friend."

"Uh-huh, keep going," Clark said absently. 'What's the myth?"

"In the literal myth, Hyacinth and Apollo were the best of friends, but the west wind, Zephyr was jealous of this friendship. Apollo and Hyacinth took took turns throwing a discus when Hyacinth tried to catch it to impress Apollo, was struck by the discus and died. There is a twist in the myth that Zephyr was responsible for his death," Siobhan was uncertain if she should continue because everyone around her looked slightly bored.

"Then what happened," Conner asked, gulping down a bottle of water he bought earlier on.

"Well," Siobhan scratched her head and looked at the painting. "Zephyr was so jealous that Hyacinth preferred Apollo, he blew the discus off course as to hit and kill him."

"Oh," Lois's hand was blur compared to Clark's, so much that Siobhan would have believed her paper would burst into flames in a few seconds.

The rest of Tiepolo's paintings were as educational as the last, that at the last painting, Lois and Clark were able to recite Tiepolo's biography as an artist and the literal definition of Rococo, something that the museum curator explained to them as he walked by.

Before they left the museum, Megan and Conner dragged them all to the gift shop, where they tried on pseudo depictions of Venetian costumes and looked through the merchandise on sell on the shelves.

"Hey look at me," Clark laughed. "I'm a jester!" He had swapped his fedora for a jester's hat and pranced around to the jingle of the bells sewn on it.

Siobhan and Conner both bought Venetian masquerade masks because they were enamored by the elaborate details carved onto the plastic. On the other hand, Megan, Clark, and Lois all purchased feathered trimmed masks and wore them as they exited the museum.

"Ok, lunch is on me! Who's up for a cheeseburger, french fries, and milkshake at Bibbo's," Clark quickly took out his wallet and shuffled through the bills inside before leading them to the nearest bus stop.

But Siobhan, already feeling awkward for being the extra person, declined, claiming that she felt tired and needed to rest before training later on.

"Ok, see you later then. Bye, Siobhan."

" . . . Bye, , Mr. Clark, Megan, Conner. Have fun."

(Mount Justice, June 20, 2012. 1:56 p.m)

The stench of greasy burgers and chicken nuggets filled Robin's room as Wally ate quietly. Having no idea how to cook at all, he decided to run to Happy Harbor and pick up a few burgers for them to eat for lunch, but when Robin took one bite of it, he promptly thrust the burger back to Wally and settled for water.

"Can't you eat that stuff outside? I can barely breathe with all the burger stink in here," Robin huffed, crossing his arms and cursing under his breath.

"Hey, if you don't stop with the bad words, I'm going to call Alfred and you're going to be in for it when you're better," Wally countered, shoving a piece of lettuce in his mouth while Robin watched.

Suddenly, the boy collapsed into a coughing fit and Wally put down his burger to find the medicine. He knew Robin brought it with him, it was a little bottle with red liquid inside. Oh yeah, it was in the lounge.

"Don't move," he warned, narrowing his eyes. "And don't touch my burger."

"What the hell, man. I'm not going to touch your germs," Robin glared back.

Wally couldn't wait until Bruce came to collect his ward, let him have a taste of what he and Alfred had to deal with. Bruce never had to deal with him when he was sick, maybe it was because he already knew. In that case, he was a smart man.

He grabbed a spoon and a cup of water while he was at it and head back to Robin's room. "Here, take your medicine," Wally handed him the bottle and spoon while he gulped down the water. Man, that burger was salty.

"Whatever, I'm not drinking that crap," Robin declared.

"Alfred said to drink, so you drink it," he snapped, drumming his fingers impatiently against his elbow.

"You're not Al-"

"Shiv, B-10."

Miracle of Miracles, he had backup! Wally turned to Robin and shook his finger accusingly. "You in trouble now~"

"Is anyone here," she called loudly.

"In here! I'm in Robin's room!" The Boy Wonder scowled and reached for the bottle of medicine and spoon. He hastily poured himself a spoonful of the red liquid and gulped it down a minute before Siobhan entered through the opened door.

(Mount Justice, June 20, 2012. 1:32 p.m)

Stupid Wally and his big mouth! He quickly took his medicine before Siobhan could come in and make a big deal about it. The stuff tasted like cherries mixed with crap, the kind hobos burned in trashcans at night.

"What's going on in here?" She walked in and eyed the burger wrappers and empty soda cans Wally left on his desk. There was also the pile of shirts that Robin left on the floor earlier in the morning as well as his shoes and socks.

"Sorry about the mess, you know. Robin's sick, so I had to take care of him," Wally picked up the bottle of medicine and set it on the nightstand. "What about you? Did you go shopping~"

"Uh, I went with Megan and Conner," she said.

"You look mega-hot," he nodded, grinning.

There was long pause before Robin realized that his best friend was looking at him. "What," he asked, blinking.

"Comment, dude," Wally mouthed. Oh, right.

"You look . . ." he trailed off. Hot? No, that wasn't the correct word. Well yes, she was hot, but not drop-dead hot. No, that wasn't what he meant either! But her legs in particular, looked especially fine today.

" . . . nice," he finished.

Siobhan smiled cryptically at the both of them and turned to Wally. "Do you want me to clean this up?"

"No, make Wally clean it up. Then after, he can make me some chicken noodle soup," Robin snapped. It was his fault that his room looked like total crap today and he owed him nine dollars for the burgers.

"It's ok, I can clean up. Can you make the soup for Robin, I can't cook," Wally admitted.

He smiled and picked up some trash until Siobhan left the room and turned on Robin with a menacing glint in his eye. "I know you're sick, but what's wrong with you," he whispered. "She was friggin' gorgeous and you said nice? You said nice?" he repeated in disbelief.

Before Robin could throw his pillow at him, Wally was blabbering away already. "She was waiting for you, dude! Why didn't you say something better?-"

"Shut up, dude. My head's hurting like crazy," He was just glad that Wally was too busy ranting to see the blush forming on his cheeks. Even if he did, it could be mistaken with the discoloration from his fever. "Hand me my shirt," he skulked.

"Why? Don't you want Shivette to see you in your glory," Wally asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"If you're hoping for some gross fantasy that involves denial and a confession, you can forget it," he snapped. "I'm not that kind of guy. Now hand me my shirt."

(Mount Justice, June 20, 2012. 1:50 p.m)

The noodles were slightly soft, but still edible. As for the soup, Siobhan added some extra vegetables to the mix since she assumed Wally would be eating as well.

"Siobhan, can I talk to you," Wally called.

"Come to the kitchen," she yelled back. As she was pouring the soup into a bowl, Wally appeared before her with a cheeky smile and took the bowl from her.

"Can you do me a favor? Stay with Robin and take care of him until Megan comes home," he asked pleadingly.

"No!" Siobhan took another bowl from the cabinet and careful scooped some more of the broth with the ladle. "I will not be part of your matchmaking schemes again!"

Wally held up both his hands as a sign of peace. "Look, I've been taking care of him all morning. Artemis couldn't help me because she's out with her mom and I haven't slept for hours. Come on."

The ladle pointed towards his face was enough to make him back down. "After I give him his soup, I'm taking a nap and then I'm training," she said steely.

"Fine," Wally sighed dejectedly and wandered to the nearest cabinet to rummage through, no doubt for a bag of Chicken Whizees.

Siobhan placed the bowl on a plate and took it to Robin's room, where she found the boy twirling a piece of string through his fingers. He coughed twice and took the plate from her wordlessly.

While he was eating, she put her hand on his forehead to see how ill he was and recoiled from the touch. "Doctor. I'll have Wally take you to the doctor's," she declared.

"I already went this morning, I just have a cold," he whispered.

"Kid Flash, B-03"

(Mount Justice, June 20, 2012. 1:59 p.m)

Wally tricked her! Again!

There was a limit to how much pranks Wally could play on her and Siobhan was at her limit. She did not sign up for babysitting duty!

"It's ok, you don't have to be here," Robin said without looking up. "It's not like I'll die soon."

"No, no, no, you won't, but I won't leave you here by yourself," she said placatingly. She just had to wait for Megan to come back, right?

He took his medicine already. Check.

Lunch. Check.

Bring down his temperature. Not so sure.

There was a pile of folded towels at the base of his nightstand. Siobhan instinctively grabbed them and produced a basin full of cold water from the moisture in the air and dipped the towels in. "Take a nap," she said encouragingly even though she wanted to take one herself.

Robin silently obeyed and put his bowl of soup aside before laying down on his bed. She rinsed out all the water and gently placed it on his forehead, hoping that he wouldn't make such a fuss over it.

"Fuck, that's cold," he grumbled. Siobhan glared furiously at him until his face suddenly lit up with recognition.

"Oops, I meant 'man, that's cold'," he corrected. Suddenly, he sat back up and covered his mouth as he began coughing. Siobhan caught the towel that had fallen from his forehead and was mildly horrified at how the towel wasn't even cool anymore.

His fever was really serious.

"It's so hot," Robin whined. He flipped over on his chest and pulled the comforter over him.

Taking the two or three towels she found on his desk, Siobhan rinsed them all and folded them into rectangles. "I'm going to count to three, if you don't get out from under there, I will flip you," she threatened.

"One . . ."

"No . . . don't want . . ."

"Two . . ."

He shook his head from under the covers and moaned.

Siobhan slide an arm underneath his body and the other under his knees, ready to flip when he continued to resist.

"Three."

His head flopped onto her chest as she pulled him up and he gripped her new blouse weakly. Robin let out a pathetic groan before Siobhan set him back down onto his bed and grabbed the towels.

She pressed the first one against his forehead for a few seconds and folded it once it became warm and pressed it against his temple, firmly ignoring his protests. Once that became warm as well, she threw the piece of cloth back into the basin and reached for a new one and started to press it against his neck and then his collarbone.

"It's too hot," he murmured. "Like . . . oven."

"Then cool yourself down," she snapped. Oops.

"Can't . . . head hurts . . . too much."

(Mount Justice, June 20, 2012. 3:12 p.m)

Robin must have dozed off because when he came to, Siobhan was reading at his desk, dressed in a loose t-shirt and sweatpants with her glasses perched on her head. Though his vision was slightly blurred, he caught the gold lettering on the spine of the book: Oliver Twist.

"How long was I out," he muttered.

"About an hour, I changed your towel eight times," she replied absently.

"Oh. Thanks," he reached up and removed the warm piece of cloth from his head and sat up.

"I called Megan," Siobhan said. She snapped the book shut and placed it on his desk as she took the towel from him. "She said she wouldn't be back until four, something about a festival."

"Sorry . . ."

"It's all right, how are you feeling?" Robin sat up as she rinsed the towel and clutched his head. Oh god, it hurt so bad everywhere.

He was barely aware of his desk chair rolling towards him as something freezing cold was pressed against his head and a hand gently pushing him back down. Siobhan averted her eyes as she patted the towel over his face, an unmistakable pink tint visible on her cheeks as she did so.

No, he was definitely not going to take advantage of her lack of attention right now and basically check her out while she wasn't looking

Robin put a hand on his glasses as she wiped the sweat away from his forehead and watched her fold the towel. She didn't exactly have a lot of curves like Zatanna or Artemis. No, he never looked at Artemis that way, he just knew her measurements since it was Bruce who made spares uniforms for her.

But Siobhan didn't have a washboard either. She had a lean, slight hourglass, which was impossible since her entire diet consisted of fats and sugars, and somehow, Robin was reminded of those old Hollywood starlets in the 1950s. What? Alfred enjoyed watching Noir dectective shows.

The dorky glasses she wore flashed wickedly as she threw the towel which was now warm from his body heat back into the basin. "Don't worry," Siobhan said stoically, "it's natural to be interested in a girl's body."

"That's so not what happened," he burst out indignantly and sat up, embarrassed at being caught. She had been watching him all along, little sneak.

"Oh?" She pushed him back down again and placed a new towel on his head. "What happened then?" The ghost of a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she waited for him to answer.

"Don't flatter yourself, Shivette. You don't have anything to look at," he snapped.

Instead of the angry reaction he instantly expected from her, she smiled faintly and sat back down on the chair. "I was joking, you pinhead. Go back to sleep, I'll be here if you need anything."

"Where did you steal that line from," Robin frowned, adjusting his sunglasses and rolling away from the girl.

He heard to rustling of paper from behind and quiet chuckling from her. "A friend, from long ago," she replied impassively. "She died while I was in the Asylum."

Way to go, Robin, he thought. Real smooth to insult the girl taking care of you.

"Shivette . . . can I ask you something? Like something personal?"

"Ask away."

Robin paused, again his mouth moving ahead of his brain could cause trouble for him if he didn't tread lightly. On the other hand, he was pretty curious and if Batman didn't place so many regulations and rules about supervising her, then he would ask away, regardless if she allowed it or not.

"What was it like . . . in Arkham, I mean?"

Clutching his comforter closer to him, Robin screwed his eyes shut and resisted turning back around to see her face. His brain was already putting together an apology should she refuse to answer his question, but seriously, his head hurt like hell.

"It was . . . fine," Siobhan said, voice tinged with melancholy. Robin heard her laugh to herself and for the first time, he felt pity for her, real pity, not the kind he reserved for criminals that ended up pissing off Batman.

"How? No special therapy?"

As a vigilante, he knew all about Arkham and its most notorious inmates. He knew that some of the staff use the excuse that mental illnesses are the 'fashionable excuse' for sin. Nuns and orderlies performed exorcisms regularly on the inmates that resulted in the permanent psychological damage of their patients and caning was a common punishment.

"It wasn't that," she replied. "After a while, you deal with it by . . . not feeling. It was better than the alternative, screaming and biting the staff while they strap you down for electroshock therapy . . . your medicine!"

Ah crap, he forgot about that. Not that Robin cared though, when he got better, the first thing he was going to do was throw the remainder of the stuff into the trash.

"I'll be right back! Stay right where you are," Robin heard the tell-tale 'whoosh' of her body vaporizing and smiled once he was sure that she was gone. Changing the subject like that, she must have learned that from the Batman himself.

He coughed to clear his throat of the phlegm and sat up even though he wasn't suppose to. Siobhan returned moments later with a clean spoon in her hand. She grabbed the bottle of medicine and quickly poured out a teaspoon of the stuff before offering it to him.

The nasty smell of the chemicals was strong enough to make Robin want to gag and it was right in front of his face. He scowled and looked at Siobhan, whose eyes suddenly widened to the size of dinner plates as she retracted the spoon.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to . . . you could do it yourself," she trailed off, preparing to pour the red liquid back into the bottle, but Robin reached out and stopped her. His eyes never left her face as he pulled her hand back over and drank his medicine without fuss.

"Tastes like shit," He was never going to get use to that stuff..

"Robin!" Siobhan smacked the top of his head with the spoon, her previous passive demeanor replaced with an angry glare. "Language!"

(Mount Justice, June 20, 2012. 5:25 p.m)

Siobhan dutifully watched over Robin until Megan and Conner arrived back at the Cave. She silently wished the girl good luck since Robin was being difficult to take care of in the first place.

Training could wait until tomorrow. For now, Siobhan was content with reading Oliver Twist in her room, except she couldn't focus well enough to keep her eyes on the page.

Bill Sikes was about three pages away from murdering Nancy, but other than that, Siobhan distracted by doubts. In the afternoon when she caught Robin . . . looking, she hadn't expect him to be so . . . shallow.

Of course, she already knew that Robin didn't like her as anything more than a friend. If he even showed the slightest interest in her, it was merely because she was female.

That didn't stop Siobhan from looking through the pictures that lined his desk. A group picture of the Team from 2011 aboard the Bioship, one of Wally stuffing his face, another posing with the Flash and Black Canary, a news clipping from a magazine about them, and the rest were of him and a smiling girl.

Something deflated inside Siobhan when she saw this girl for the first time. Hair kept neat and manageable, a sense of fun that showed in every picture she was in, and a figure that Siobhan did not and will never have, Siobhan could see why Robin took to her in the first place.

She believed that it wasn't right to butt in, especially when Robin still liked the girl, which was complete hypocrisy since she felt . . . things for him. That needed to stop immediately.

(Mount Justice, June 22, 2012. 3:54 p.m)

"It's about time you got better, dude," Robin could hear the sound of food being chewed on the speakerphone and frankly, he could almost see Wally's jaw working like it was right in front of him.

"I barely answer the phone and that's what you start with? I'm feeling sad here," he replied, feigning hurt. "So what's up?"

"You're missing the Happy Harbor street fair!"

"So? It's not like I'm missing anything," Robin gave a sidelong glance to his computer and typed in his password.

"Yes, you are if you don't get your butt here! Some guy from H.H High-"

"Hold on, my computer needs some fixing."

"-challenged Supey to a dance off, but he didn't wanna do it-"

"Dude, my computer needs fixing," Robin repeated.

"-so Shiv stepped up."

" . . ."

" . . . I got your attention now~"

"No," Robin exclaimed, "I'm rebooting my computer!"

"Well, you have about ten minutes to get down here before they start, so see ya~"

"Who said I was-"

Call ended.

Robin mentally debated with himself on whether on not to go. His hard drive would take hours on end to clean, but he needed to do it or it'll crash. On the other hand, he could go for thirty minutes and be back.

In the end, he changed out of his suit, got dressed in his civvies, and zeta-ed to the Cave. Once there, he ransacked his room for his wallet, which he knew he was going to need when Wally ran out of cash for food.

(Happy Harbor, June 22, 2012. 4:06 p.m)

"You came!" Wally suddenly grinned like a mad man and grabbed his wrist. "C'mmon!"

Robin didn't even get a chance to protest when the red-head dragged him like a stuffed rabbit through the crowd all the way to a large crowd. They pushed and shoved through the masses until they saw Raquel, who helped part the crowd for them.

"There you are, Wally. I thought you were getting more churros," she said.

"Nope, can't start the party with my best bud here," he patted Robin on the shoulder and led him to the front of the audience. Two other people were having their dance off right now, but Robin spotted Artemis, Conner, and Megan to his far right, who looked like they were giving a pep talk to an almost catatonic Siobhan.

On his far left, he saw a group of people laughing and pushing each other around a guy wearing a Green Lantern shirt. Robin smirked to himself, noting that he wouldn't hold a candle to Siobhan's dancing.

"And the Winner is Wendy Harris! Give her a round of applause, people!" Two women walked up to a younger girl and put flowered leis on her while the crowd cheered.

"And next on our list is Erick Johnson versus Conner-" The MC paused as one of his assistants whispered something into his ear.

"Looks like there's a program change," he bellowed. "Erick Johnson versus Siobhan Laurent!"

Siobhan took a step forward while her opponent slide in. Already the crowd was cheering for their favorite and it was not her. "Good luck, guys," the MC shouted into his microphone. "Can a brother get some music?!"

The first beat of the song sent both dancers krumping to the center of the ring, something that Robin never knew Siobhan could do since she primarily focused on traditional dances, such as the waltz or ballet, at school.

Nonetheless, it was pretty cool. Then the music faltered and a whole minute of silence echoed before somebody put on a new song.

_Show you off_

_Tonight I wanna show you off (aye, aye, aye)_

_What you got_

_A billion could've never bought (aye, aye, aye)_

Everybody just stood still and wondered what could have brought on the drastic change in music until someone in the audience shouted, "Dance already!"

This time, Siobhan took a backseat as Erick Johnson let loose with some pop-and-lock moves. He winked playfully at her before he stopped and grinned as she swayed her hips teasingly to the song and winked back.

_We gonna party like it's 3012 tonight_

_I wanna show you all the finer things in life_

_So just forget about the world, we're young tonight_

All of Erick's friends hooted and whistled as Siobhan put out some wicked footwork while the crowd roared with approval. In her zone, she probably didn't see Erick Johnson, who strutted behind her and placed his hands on her waist, running them slowly down the sides of her body.

_Cause all-_

_I need, is a beauty and a beat_

_Who can make my life complete_

_It's all-_

_Bout you, when the music makes you move_

There was nothing playful about it. But Siobhan pulled away before he could do anything else and eyed him with a wary glance.

"Body rock, girl, I can feel your body rock," Wally sang in tune, grinning as she continued to pop and lock to the song. "Take a bow, you on the hottest ticket now."

"Go Siobhan! You can beat that guy," Raquel cheered as Kaldur and Robin clapped along. He was (secretly) bristling with jealousy after that creep tried to make a move on Siobhan. That same creep hadn't given up yet and was flashing flirty smiles and blowing kisses at her during the interludes of the song to which she responded with a few polite smiles and glances.

"And we have a tie," the MC's voice boomed through the audience. "Give a hand to Erick and Siobhan for their awesome moves!"

In the crowd, Wally, Artemis, and Raquel looked visibly disappointed. Even so, they cheered as Siobhan was given her leis and ran to congratulate her after she was dismissed from the dance floor.

"Nice moves," Robin said awkwardly as he approached her. She was about to say something back when someone behind him shoved past him, pushing him against Siobhan.

"That's what I call a lucky hit," Wally crowed as Raquel and Artemis chortled. Even Megan and Conner couldn't help but laugh at the expense of Siobhan's embarrassment. She gently pushed him off and gave him a faint smile.

"So you wanna go grab some funnel cake," he asked.

"Sur-I mean, I can't. There's still chores I haven't finished," she said almost regretfully.

"That's ok, R.T can handle them," Wally quipped.

"Red Tornado can't handle everything," she snapped back. "Sorry, Robin."

"It's alright . . ."

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji: <strong>I originally wanted to use Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolph, but somehow the other song worked better. Not a bieber fan, but I don't hate him either, mostly because I listen to indie.

I haven't touched my computer for a long time, so I'm not sure how this chapter turned out. That's for you to decide. ;D

* * *

><p><strong>Omake<strong>

"Welcome back, Master Bruce. I trust that the talk with Mr. Gordon went well?" Alfred bowed deeply as Batman stepped out of the Batmobile and walked past him. He wrinkled his nose at the putrid stench of sewage and asked, "What happened to you, sir?"

"Nothing," Batman growled. "I finally caught Joker and was carting his ass to Arkham when the Batmobile lost a wheel!"

The Dark Knight took the butler's silence as a sign to continue and took a sugar cookie from the plate Alfred offered him. "And while I was changing it, the Joker got away! I had to spend the whole night in the sewers chasing after him!"

" . . . That's terrible, sir."

"Then the aeration system in the Batsuit short circuited and I smell like a toilet now!"

He paused and looked carefully at the cookie he was eating. "Oh, Merry Christmas, Alfred."

"Merry Christmas, sir," Alfred replied with a cheerful smile.

Just then a shout echoed through the Batcave from the ventilation system as Dick was screaming about an egg.

"Shall I bring the egg nog, sir?"

"Yes, and lots of it."

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin . . . egg. Nevermind. Merry Christmas, guys! Stay safe, eat cake, candy cane, or whatever your mom makes~ I'll be updating soon since I'm on break (yay) Review~


	19. Chapter 19

**Shitz-Suji:** Hope you guys had an awesome Christmas and New year! I was going to post this chapter before the Rose Parade, but eh. So here and I apologize in advance for any errors and such I made. Enjoy~

* * *

><p>(Ace Chemical Processing Plant. June 28, 2012. 12:03 a.m)<p>

"Would you calm down, Ivy? She's a smart kid, she'll be fine," A blonde woman crossed her legs in her chair and spun around. "Wheeee~"

"It's not that, Har. He's got her, the _Batman_ got her! It's been six months and she's still missing," Plants and weed sprung up from where green feet once touched the concrete floor as Poison Ivy paced around her hideout.

"I bet she's locked back up in Arkham~ Bats alway had it in for the us_-_types~" Harley grounded to halt and looked at her friend seriously. "You think the kid's been locked up all this time and we just didn't give a damn enough to go look there?"

"Shut it, Har." Poison Ivy threw her hands up in frustration. "Damn it. I even teamed up with that woman to find her and so far, we haven't found anything."

A sinister cackle startled both women as a green haired, bleached pale man walked up behind the red-haired villainess and clucked his tongue sympathetically. "Women, they just love to do pointless things. It's too bad that they just can't stop caring~"

(Mount Justice. June 29, 2012. 1:47 p.m)

Siobhan found herself alone in the afternoon. The Team was too busy having fun at the beach than to listen to Tornado's warnings of the high temperatures for today. She was reading _War and Peace_ in the lounge to herself when Artemis and Raquel skipped in, dressed in their swimsuits.

"Hey Shiv, wanna join us? We're going boogie boarding," Artemis flashed the yellow and green plastic board she carried and grinned wickedly. "You can catch some waves~"

"Or get a tan," Raquel offered.

"I don't tan," Siobhan stated simply, flipping the page. "And I don't 'boogie board'." The two girls shrugged and went over to the fridge to grab some sodas before running out of the lounge.

Day after day, she repeated the same cycle: eat, read, train, eat, and train more. Batman himself came to the Cave to check up on the Team and was slightly pleased about how she was the only person not enjoying her summer by frolicking around. It was unclear if she should take that as a compliment or an insult.

To compensate for such a strict schedule, Siobhan hadn't slept for over a week now, eating enough coffee-flavored ice cream to fuel a grown adult for three straight days. At night, she made routine trips to check on the Doctor's cryogenic pod and kept track of Aris's whereabouts least she attempt something again.

As for her interaction with Robin, that was almost non-existent now. She didn't go out of her way to avoid him, but she didn't stay in the same room with him for very long if he happened to be in it. He wasn't oblivious to what she was doing though. Siobhan noticed that he teased her less and less, even when they were training and was always quick to offer a hand if he knocked her down.

How pathetic.

(Mount Justice. June 29, 2012. 5:52 p.m)

"Did you see the way I spiked that ball," Wally gloated. His skin was burnt bright pink and his freckles seemed more prominent than ever. Robin, however, was smart enough to put on some sunblock before he went out to the beach and thus, did not burn like a plucked chicken.

"Everyone saw you," he drawled. "You were screaming 'look at me, I''m flying'!" They kicked off their flip-flops and shook the sand out from their hair, knowing full well that Tornado would be cleaning that up later.

"Alright, you don't have to say that." Wally rubbed his stomach and sighed happily. "Man, this day was perfect~"

"Just wait until dinner," Robin smirked and walked ahead to the kitchen where four packs of defrosted hot dogs were waiting to be roasted over a bonfire. He handed them all to Wally and took out a pack of sodas from the fridge.

"Hey, what about Shiv? The red-head shifted the packages in his hand and pointed over to the couch. "I don't think she's gonna like it if we started dinner without her."

"Then go wake her."

"No way, you do it, dude."

Robin rolled his eyes and went over to the couch where Siobhan was sleeping on, sitting upright with her arms and legs crossed and a book lying on her lap. "Shivette~ Wake up~"

All of a sudden, Wally let out a piercing whistle and called out, "It's DINNER TIME! Come and get it, girl!" He didn't stop until he noticed the glare Robin was sending him from halfway across the room.

"She's not a dog, you know."

"But you are," Wally waggled his eyebrow and grinned knowingly at Robin.

"See, you're not even denying it~"

" . . . Shut up."

(Mount Justice. June 29, 2012. 9:13 p.m)

What time was it?

Actually, where was she?

Siobhan really didn't want to open her eyes and find out, being that it was so warm and comfortable under her blankets.

Wait, blankets?

She felt around for her book and sat up, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The thick volume of _War and Peace_ was placed on her nightstand along with a note telling her that there was food in the fridge should she wake up. Behind it, her alarm clock read-

"Idiot!" Siobhan jumped out of her bed and rummaged through her closet for her suit. Forgoing socks, she shoved on her boots and hightailed it to the garage where her preferred mode of transportation was waiting.

The reason being she had to so precise about her schedule was because when she stowed away Vincent Laurent, the place where he was hidden away at was not able to sustain his cryo-chamber for long periods of time. There was a minimum of adequate energy available to even power up the like an idiot, she overslept and potentially endangered the life of Dr. Laurent. Should he thaw, he would be susceptible to strokes, heart attacks, and muscle or tissue damage.

There was no time to worry about safety as she weaved through traffic, ignoring the awestruck looks children gave her when she raced by or the angry words adults shouted after her when she cut them off. After several red lights, she finally arrived at a run down apartment building where the cryo-chamber was safely stored in its basement.

But when Siobhan went down . . .

Wires fizzed and crackled, boxes were overturned, and the landlady and her family were gagged and bound. The children were crying out of fear while the father was knocked unconscious, bleeding from a cut on his forehead.

She never could have predicted this. Siobhan only meant to borrow the basement as a temporary storage facility while she located a safer, better equipped compound. It was never her intention to place a whole family in harm's way.

"W-Who a-are you," the landlady squeaked.

"No one important," Siobhan got down on her knees and untied the woman and her family. "Who did this?"

"Some men with g-guns. T-They left five minutes ago and took a coffin with them," the landlady opened her arms wide to emphasize the length of the object she was talking about. "Frank, oh Frank!"

"Take your family somewhere safe and call for help, it'll be alright," Siobhan assured. She unfastened her cloak and wrapped it around the children, smiling briefly at them even though they couldn't see it and turned to leave.

Aris's men couldn't have gotten very far in the span of five minutes. Siobhan wagered it would take less than three to find and retrieve the cryo-chamber. But as she took off again on her motorcycle, she was accosted by four unlicensed, white vans.

The windows were tinted, but there hardly any doubt that the drivers in the vehicles were after her. Siobhan switched gears and stomped on the accelerator, recklessly driving in reverse to avoid being caught in the middle of the ambush.

As she readjusted herself, the rooftop hatch of the vehicle in front of her swung open and a man dressed in full body Kevlar, aiming an assault rifle at her. He fired twice, one bullet missed while the other skinned her left forearm.

"Surrender now and we will not shoot," he called.

"Say your prayers, wretches," Siobhan snarled, swerving to avoid crashing into a streetlight. Without any warning, the moisture in the cool night air condensed around them like a fog and collapsed into a glittering swarm of ice. The man calmly took aim at her again and fired, but this time the bullets were lost in the swarm before they even reached halfway to their destination.

The best part: all the ice that was surrounding them could be used as an offensive weapon. Siobhan couldn't help but smile as the ice began to blur and it wasn't because they were melting. Each fleck of ice was vibrating at a rate of 500,000 times per second, increasing their cutting power by tenfold. It took hours of rigorous training to even get them to move, much less to cut, but Siobhan was ready to see what they can do.

As a precaution, she distanced herself from the vehicles and watched with satisfaction as the ice closed in on the metal surface of the vans and ripped through the metal like paper.

And not a single person inside was harmed.

They had about ten seconds to abandon the wheel and jump out before Siobhan moved the swarm under the vehicles, shredding the flimsy rubber tires with ease. She airlifted the men out of danger as the vehicles swerved dangerously and tumbled over, passing through the cloud of ice and came to a halt as a pile of scrap metal.

"Please, please don't hurt us," one of the men pleaded as Siobhan lowered them down. "We don't know anything."

"I can make you hurt to the point where you'd be begging me for death," she walked up to one of them and tore the goggles he wore off his face. "Should you lie, I will not hesitate to_ hurt_ you." This however, was a complete lie as Siobhan abhorred torture, but at least they believed her.

"Who are you working for," she asked.

"W-We don't know. Please, h-have mercy," the same man cried frantically. He seemed to be telling the truth, much to Siobhan's relief. Without a word, she slammed the sole of her boot against the side of his head and glanced at the next man.

"N-No, p-please," he got on his knees and bowed. His fellow mercenaries followed his example and avoided eye contact with her as she walked past.

"Don't worry, your friend is still alive. But he'll have a headache once he wakes up. So onto you," Siobhan knelt down and pulled off his googles, "do you know where cryogenic chamber is?"

"N-No."

"Thank you," she got back up and knocked the man unconscious. "Last question . . . how did you all know where to find me?"

She walked up to the calmest of them all and smiled kindly. "How did you know?"

He sniffed in disgust and spat on her mask. "Beat it, bitch." Siobhan didn't move to wipe the mess off her mask, instead she stood up and kicked him as far as she could without severely injuring him, but a visit to the dentist would be recommended in the near future for him.

"O-Orders. We got o-orders from a l-lady. S-She told us to wait for a white motorcycle and keep it from following the other guys," the man next to him blurted out. He was trembling and tears rolled from his eyes like marbles.

"What other guys," she asked questionably.

"I don't know, b-but they came earlier than us and roughed up the family in the apartment," he whispered hoarsely. "We w-w-were just suppose to stall you."

"Thank you."

Siobhan snapped her fingers, wisps of water forming tendrils around the remainder of the men and solidifying into thick bands of ice. "You've been a great help, gentlemen. I sincerely hope for the best of luck for you all," she said, smirking nastily, "since you'll be needing it."

(Mount Justice. July 1, 2012. 10:00 a.m)

"Alright, I know that it's summer now and you guys all want to be doing your own thing," Black Canary paused to look at Wally, who was busy eating an apple and continued on, "but that doesn't mean training is going to stop. So today we're going to do one-on-one sparring-"

Robin inched towards Kaldur since he was the most focused of the group and was fun to spar with, but Canary stopped him. With a smile, she turned to the rest of the Team and took off her jacket. "Not with each other though. You'll be fighting against me."

"Who's up first," she asked, smirking.

Everybody paying attention took a step back, save for Wally, who was tossing around the remainder of his apple. He stopped and looked around in confusion at the sudden silence, dropping his apple core on the clean floor.

"What?"

"Get ready, K.F. Looks like you're up first," Robin quipped. He suppressed a chortle when Canary lunged for his best friend, barely managing to grab his arm in time when the speedster made an abrupt swing for her head.

"Nice reflexes," she complimented and then proceeded to knock him down with a low, sweeping kick. But Wally jumped up seconds before he could be hit and cautiously backed away from the woman.

Canary ran towards him again before launching into a flying kick aimed for his upper torso. And Wally, happy with his previous accomplishment of avoiding Canary, smirked and grabbed her extended leg with both his hands, leaving his lower body completely defenseless.

Robin let out a sympathetic groan as he watched her pull Wally's legs out from under him. That had to hurt. His friend laid on the computerized floor with his bottom sticking up while a big, red, 'FAIL' flashed above him.

"I can't feel my face," he said, his voice muffled.

"Good job, but stay alert next time," Canary offered a hand to help him up and pushed him back towards the Team as Raquel stepped forward.

Robin only snickered as Wally walked over to him, offering him a candy bar he meant to save for later. They watched as Raquel almost landed a legit hit on Canary before being jabbed in the chest.

Then there was Conner, who used his super strength to his advantage and tossed Canary out of the ring. Unfortunately, it didn't mean anything as she just got back up and dealt him a series of lightening fast punches even he couldn't avoid. Megan didn't fare any better since Canary was still revved up from her match with Conner.

Then Siobhan went up. There was nothing significantly important about her session, but towards the end when Canary was about to knock her over with a blow to her chest, she grew desperate. Using the mere seconds before the hit landed, she swung her body close to the ground and utilized the awkward angle to catch Canary off guard.

Even though it was a good strategy, Siobhan overused it and was eventually pinned down in a painful submission hold. Still, it was pretty neat.

After her came Artemis, then Robin himself, who wasn't particularly happy about his defeat by a simple roundhouse kick, then Kaldur.

"Well, good job. Some of you still need a bit more work," Canary looked over at Conner pointedly, "while some were spot on."

Robin guessed that they were probably free to go now, judging by how Black Canary went over to pick up her jacket while shouting goodbyes to those who were leaving for the kitchen or lounge. But he wanted to stay and train a little more before heading home for dinner, otherwise he might as well spend his whole afternoon watching T.V and wait for Bruce to come home for dinner.

(Mount Justice, July 1, 2012. 1:06 p.m)

A cold glass of milk sounded delicious after a training session. It just depended on how much was left since Megan used a lot of it to make an extra cheesy dinner last night. Siobhan sighed contently and was about to shuffle over to the kitchen to get some when somebody called after her.

"Wait up!"

She stopped and turned around to find Robin bouncing towards her, completely sore-free from his brutal takedown by Black Canary. Lucky. He wanted her to spar with him so he could practice his technique against the 'move' she spontaneously created. He even gave it a name.

"Don't you have another hobby or interest to pursue," she deadpanned.

"Shut up, it's not like that," Robin exclaimed indignantly. "I just want to practice!"

"Then ask Wally," she replied, eyes narrowing seriously. "I'm sure he'll jump at the chance to practice with you."

That stopped him right in his tracks. "I can't, " he cocked his head towards the Zeta-Tubes and pushed up his sunglasses in exasperation. "He's going out with Artemis later."

"That's not enough reason for me to agree. If you'll excuse me-"

"How about we even the odds," Robin interrupted, smirking. "I think the score was 2-1. If you beat me, then we're tied. If you lose, then we'll see who the better fighter is."

He took a predatory step forward and she stepped back, intent on preserving her personal space. "Come on, are you scared~"

Siobhan flushed deeply, ashamed that she even let this . . . this egoistic boy get under her skin. But she learned her lesson from when Robin goaded her into fighting before and it was an experience she did not wish to repeat. Still, if it was only one fight . . .

"This is bordering on ridiculous, but one fight only," she said. Siobhan did her best to maintain her composure and walk with Robin back to the sparring circle. He activated the computer and took his place at the other end of the ring.

"Ready?"

She nodded and took off, ready to end things with a single hit before it became complicated. Of course, Robin just stood there, waiting for her to close in on him. At the last moment, he grabbed her fist and twisted her arm around her back quite painfully with ease.

"You're not taking me seriously enough. Keep that up and you'll lose," he warned, letting go of her in the process.

"Hmm . . . you don't say," Siobhan observed. She steadied herself and took aim at Robin's chest, intending to knock the air out of his lungs when he darted behind her. There a narrow gap in which she was able to avoid his hit, but just barely.

It was like playing jump rope with an eight year old. Robin leapt and jumped and flipped everywhere, it was impossible to get a good grip on where he was for one second since the next, he would flit five feet away from his last position. And he said to take him seriously, what a load of nonsense.

That was why the next time he lunged for her, Siobhan tightened the muscles of her heel and pushed hard against the floor, anchoring herself to her spot. She used her head as a makeshift pendulum and swung low to aim for his defenseless legs.

"Finally using the Dust Eater, huh," he said, grinning.

It was the most unflattering name he ever associated with her. Not only that, Siobhan thought the name sounded like it belonged on a vacuum cleaner. She swung lower and lower, eventually going so low that her cheek was scraping the floor.

"I think I'm starting to get how you do that," he panted. They've been at it for about ten minutes already with each side either dodging or attempting a hit, but no one was winning or losing. Siobhan's back was starting to feel a bit sore from all the bending while running around she was doing.

"I highly doubt you can," she asked as she dodged a particularly vicious drop kick from the Boy Wonder.

"No, I got it. It's just basic physics after all," he jumped up when she swung up to regain her balance and took a swipe to her face. "Oops."

She crossed her arms in front of her face as Robin got on his hands and delivered an upside rotating kick, hitting her arms multiple times with alarming force. Siobhan felt like if she used her arms one more time, they might break from taking the brunt of the attack.

"You're not the only one who can improvise," he said, smirking. Maybe it was time she started to entertain the idea of hitting him in the face again. It was a dirty strategy, but at least she'd win.

The last kick sent her skidding across the ring and while she was recovering from the sudden uplift, Robin sprinted towards her, his hand balling into a fist. He pulled it back and aimed for her gut, smirking devilishly.

As she bent backwards once more, he pulled away and pounced at her. It seemed like he had given up playing cat and mouse and was intent on incapacitating her movements. So be it then, Siobhan was determined to not lose to the same strategy again since Black Canary had made it painfully obvious what she did wrong.

Then suddenly, somebody kicked her back, literally. Siobhan felt the air burst out of her lungs and clutched her chest instinctively as it hurt to breathe now. But she still had enough strength left to swing down again and successfully knocked Robin off his feet.

That was easy. Except that as he fell, he made a grab for her shoulders and slammed his whole body against hers. She cried out when her head connected with the hard surface of the floor and shut her eyes close at the sudden overwhelming sensation of pain coursing through her body.

Of course, Siobhan was still aware that her shoulders were captured by Robin, who must be smirking like crazy by now. Goodness gracious, everything hurt so bad.

A hand gently brushed the hair away from her face and check for signs of bruising on her head. "Your hair, it got longer," his voice was hoarse and his breathing was ragged from running around.

"What are you doing," Siobhan asked, her words clipped. She cracked open an eye and tried to sit up, wincing at the pain in her chest from the wind being knocked out of her, only to be forced down again. Right, Robin was still holding her down.

No, that was wrong.

He wasn't holding her down, he was_ on top_ her. Without thinking, Siobhan ripped Robin's hand away from her shoulder and tried to push him off, albeit with much difficulty since he weighed more than she did. "Robin, get off," she howled.

"Oh, sorry."

(Mount Justice. July 1, 2012. 1:42 p.m)

His knees still hurt from the whole 'Dust Eater' attack, so when Siobhan pushed him off and he landed on his butt, the joints cracked achingly. Robin was pretty sure that his kneecaps were going to be bruised by the next morning.

"My back," Siobhan squeaked. "I don't think I can sit up." Robin laughed at the comical display of her trying to pick herself up and crossed his legs since he had nothing better to do but to stay.

He put a hand on her back and pushed her up gently as to not agitate her sore spinal column. To his surprise, she miraculously shot straight up and distanced herself from him. "No tricks," she said in a high voice.

Robin's eyebrows had risen to somewhere in the middle of his forehead. "What tricks? You were groaning like some old grandma!"

"I do not groan like an old grandma," she snapped. "My back just hurts a bit."

A 'bit' was a understatement. But Robin just smiled and helped her up, glancing at the rosy red coloring her cheeks. They both stumbled out of the sparring circle and over to where they could sit down and lean against something. The wall opposite to the Zeta-Tubes was fine, so they went over to rest for while.

"I'm gonna get us some sodas," he announced.

"Alright." Robin didn't miss the way her upper lip curled into a faint smile, her grimace melted into something softer before she caught him looking. Then she glared pointedly at him as to ask why wasn't he gone yet which he was suddenly happy to oblige to do.

Since someone had drank the last can of cola, someone with freckles and a bad sunburn, Robin had to settle for a couple of juice boxes he found in a small corner of the fridge. He grabbed a few of granola bars from the pantry as well and went back to Siobhan, who was busy rubbing her arms to notice him approaching.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, handing her a juice box and a granola bar. She wordlessly took them and rolled down her sleeves before she started eating. Robin noticed the abrupt change in her fashion style, though he was careful about not mentioning it to her since no girl would like to be described as 'dowdy'.

A few days ago, she had been perfectly fine flaunting the latest styles and such since Megan went through so much trouble picking out clothes for her. Robin preferred it over her thick and frumpy slacks and shirt ensemble, which Siobhan decided to wear again in the hot weather. But today, she wore a simple white blouse couple with a black cardigan and black capri pants along with her boots.

"I know what you're doing. Stop it," she suddenly said. Siobhan chewed on her granola bar and eyed him with a wary glance, but Robin chose to ignore with his trademark smirk.

"Stop what?"

" . . . Staring."

"Why? Am I making you_ uncomfortable_?"

"Very," she replied briskly.

"That's what happens when your clothes go up to your neck and down to your ankles," Robin took a sip of his juice and pointed lazily at her. "It takes some crazy dedication to wear that much clothes in this kind of weather."

Siobhan kept still, her mouth primly pursed. There was a very lively shade of red on her cheeks as she looked at him indignantly, probably wondering if she should try to punch him.

"It's not like I care anyways," she said hotly, "since I'm use to it."

Well, Robin wasn't going to answer that even if someone mapped out an answer using logic and reason. While he took the time to think about how he was going to act next, Siobhan had scooted away from him on account of him being a typical chauvinistic male. Her words.

(Mount Justice, July 1, 2012. 2:11 p.m)

"There will be something wrong with me if I choose to scoot back," Siobhan exclaimed stubbornly. Friend or not, she wasn't appreciating the mind games he was playing with her. One moment, he'd be stroking her hair and the next remarking at the unattractive way she was dressed.

His lips turned up at one corner and there was the glint of his sunglasses that she had come to associate with trouble. Robin stood up and hobbled for a few feet to where she was and plopped down right next to her.

"How about if I scooted closer? I wouldn't want you to be lonely," he said whimsically.

"Thank you,_ Robin_. You really know how to make a girl feel special," she retorted with as much sarcasm as possible. Every time she looked over at him, unwanted thoughts surfaced. But they weren't the ones she used to have, where she'd reply to his snarky comments with a smart and sharp comeback and pictured herself beating the living daylights out of him during training. Those were forever gone. These were along the lines of noticing things like how much she liked the way he smiled or the way he laughed. Horribly embarrassing stuff like that.

She was in the middle of drinking her juice when Robin turned to her. "Got any plans for the vacation? You know, besides beating up bad guys? Like surf lessons . . . or a summer romance?"

The cold liquid suddenly stuck in Siobhan's throat and she began hacking violently. What happened to old fashioned conversation where people restricted their chats to the weather and news?!

"You ok?" Robin peered over at her with what looked like concern and patted her back gently. He made sure to avoid the spot he kicked her at and took the juicebox away from her.

When she finally managed to stop coughing, she muttered, "Went down the wrong pipe." Siobhan was vaguely aware that her hand was enclosed in Robin's and that it was quickly becoming numb from rapid blood loss while her cheeks were as red as Wally's flaming hair.

At this realization, Siobhan had sufficient reason to disappear on the spot and she would have if Robin's grip didn't keep her anchored down. She squeezed hard on his hand, hoping that she was doing untold damage to the appendage so that he might let go. Instead, Siobhan felt his thumb brush over her knuckles gently, completely unaffected by her aggressive actions.

"I'm guessing no surf lessons," Robin said, referring to their previous conversation.

"Obviously. I'm assuming you brought this subject up because . . ."

"I don't know, just wanted to talk." He paused all of sudden and looked at her sincerely. There was a foreign emotion present in him, something between excitement and revulsion as he resumed his familiar smirk. But Siobhan noticed how rigid his posture had gotten and his obvious reluctance to say something was beginning to worry her.

" . . . I can't find another way to say this, Shivette. But . . ." Robin suddenly let go of her hand and drew in a breath.

And then he pressed his lips to hers.

(Mount Justice. July 1, 2012. 4:16 p.m)

How was she supposed to feel?

Happy? Angry? Embarrassed? Siobhan tapped a finger against her lips and tried not to think about when she slapped him. It was not an accident, that was for sure.

So she lost her first kiss to Robin. Mercy, she never even gave a thought about kissing anybody. Why did he do it anyways? And what did he mean when he said he couldn't find another way to say it? Say what?

He was oddly sweet and kind to her, even putting up with her bizarre temper. Siobhan would have been perfectly fine if he said that he only thought of her as a friend to her face. It was a bit disheartening, but realistic.

But he_ liked_ her in that way. Now what was she suppose to do about it, assuming Robin wasn't that angry over the fact she slapped him. A simple apology wouldn't solve the problem. Nobody slaps a person after they were kissed by that person, but Siobhan couldn't just go up to him and return the gesture. It would be rude and frankly, she had no idea how to kiss a person even if she wanted to.

The television and books describe it as a 'capturing of the mouth'. To her, that sound similar to 'the unnecessary exchange of saliva and germs' and Siobhan wasn't all that familiar with casual contact, which was why she slapped Robin in the first place. The kiss wasn't casual, at least she hoped not. But all the things he did before leading up to it, the touching of her hair and the hand holding.

Oh sweet mercy, what was she to do? Deep down, Siobhan didn't want to lose Robin as a friend, but she would like it if they were a bit more than just friends. On the other hand, she couldn't betray his trust anymore by withholding more secrets from him (and the Team). But if Aris and the truth about her background slipped out and it could potentially harm them, then who's to say that keeping those secrets would be a bad thing?

In the near future, she should lay off watching television.

(Mount Justice, July 3, 2012. 5:42 p.m)

It's been two days since_ it_ happened. In Robin's opinion, it didn't even count as kiss. All he did was press his lips onto hers a for second or two and pulled away. She took it surprisingly well or so he had thought when she backhanded him. In his dignity, he took it like a man, not flinching at the slightest.

But Robin knew he should fix things before they got out of hand, but it was kind of hard to when Siobhan was always around someone or in her room. So he waited.

She was reading in the kitchen while Megan was making dinner. There was a pile of books on the island counter along with a notebook and several pencils. In the lounge was Conner and Wally playing Mario Kart while Robin watched. Things were finally starting to get interesting when Conner learned how to do a turbo boost and Wally was left in the dust.

"Guys, how does lasagna sound," Megan asked.

Everyone chorused their approval and Siobhan promptly began to gather her things to leave and make room for Megan as she gathered ingredients. Now was pretty much the only chance Robin had to talk to her alone while Wally was occupied.

He waited until she left the lounge and counted to a minute before he excused himself. It wouldn't be good if Wally started to jump to conclusions.

"Shivette! I need to talk to you!" Robin jogged to catch up to her, but kept himself at a distance in case she wanted to hit him again. She didn't say anything or do anything to acknowledge his presence as they entered the library.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"It's not your fault, Robin. I overreacted and hit you," she said, walking away slowly. "I'm sorry."

"You don't understand, Shivette," He moved closer to her and fought the urge to run away. "Look, I've been a jerk to you these past few month because I was . . . confused."

"That's hardly a surprise," Siobhan quipped. "But you aren't the only one." She put down her notebooks and pencils on a nearby table and went to put her books back.

"No! That wasn't what I meant! You-" Robin didn't continue, but he took one step forward, making sure that her eyes were locked with his. She didn't move. He took another. And then another until he was right in front of her.

"Robin," she said cautiously. She tried to back away from him, hitting a bookshelf behind her with half a step. Leaning towards her, Robin placed his left hand against the bookshelf to keep her in place and the other caressed her face as he brushed his lips past hers lightly.

He pulled away a few seconds later, still watching.

"What was that," Siobhan asked carefully. She slowly raised a finger to her lips, still in shock, but at least she made no move to slap him again.

"What did you think it was?"

She kept quiet for a while, hugging her books protectively as she peered down at her shoes. "I-I . . ."

"Can I tell you something, Robin?"

"Yeah . . ."

Her head snapped back up and she glared at him with something fierce. "But you have let go of me first."

Fine. He retracted his arm and stepped back to let her have her space. "Would it be hard," her voice faltered and cracked in the middle, something Robin coldn't help but laugh at. She immediately responded by smacking his shoulder with a particularly heavy book.

"Ok, I'm listening," he said, smiling.

"Would it be hard for you to believe that I like you?"

"Well kind of, since you keep hitting me and calling me names. It really is," Robin said, feigning hurt. "But I do it to you too, so you should be thinking the same thing."

Siobhan adjusted the books in her arms and laughed, a faint blush settling on her cheeks. "You are terrible."

"See, you're doing it again," he teased. His mouth suddenly came down on hers, stealing what little breath she was holding and he felt her recoil in shock. Robin slid his arms around her cautiously, coaxing her to kiss back and smirked when he felt her respond. The books she was holding dropped to the floor as he pushed her against the bookshelf and kissed her slowly.

Her hand brushed against his cheek and the other snaked around his waist tentatively, pulling him towards her. With frightening clarity, Robin could feel the soft curves of her body against the strong contours of his own. Yet, Siobhan kissed him chastely, afraid to take it up a notch. Their noses bumped occasionally, but that was only because she was new to this. Robin smirked again at the thought and held her closer, deepening the kiss.

Siobhan sighed into his mouth, her warm lips ghosting past the corners of his own. He trailed light kisses to her cheeks, her eyebrows, forehead, even her nose. Pulling away slowly, he smiled as Siobhan just looked at him dazedly while she leaned against the bookshelf to catch her breath.

"D-Don't do that ever again," she mumbled.

"Why," he teased. "I liked it and by the looks of it, so did you~"

"Robin!" she exclaimed, scandalized. The way she was curling her lips to try and stop smiling was almost comical. Robin shook his head, grinning as he stooped down and help pick up her books. She grabbed the ones that were heavier and put them back on the shelf first, then grabbed the remainder from Robin and categorized them by alphabetical order before putting them back.

Robin only rolled his eyes as she explained it away as being neat and precise even though he could see that the books were out of numerical order.

"You look pretty today," he said out of the blue. Siobhan looked at him skeptically and peered down at her clothing, a loose, white tunic dress cinched at her waist and a pair of tights and flats. Her messy hair was a nice touch.

"Thank you. You look rather pretty yourself," she replied, giggling. Robin glanced at her like he was offended and pretended to wipe tears off his face. When she least expected it, he ruffled her hair and grinned when she threatened to smack him.

"Come on, at least wait until after dinner, Shivette~"

(Mount Justice. July 3, 2012. 6:23 p.m)

"When two bulls lower heads and horns and charge in deadly combat, they gore each other, bathing humps and necks in sheets of blood, and the whole woodland bellows," Robin read. "That's kinda violent."

"Not really. It's Virgil's _Aeneid_."

The smell of freshly baked lasagna was getting closer as they entered the lounge. Wally and Conner had given up playing Mario Kart and were watching cartoons while Megan made some finishing touches to dinner.

Robin idly flipped through Siobhan's notebook of notes she had taken from the books she read and handed it back to her. "As awesome as the start of the Roman Empire was, you're just reading this for fun, right?"

"It's just some light reading," she said. "Fascinating stuff, like the Greeks-"

She stopped when she noticed Wally and Conner staring at them like they had just grown tentacles and their skin had turned green. Wally in particular looked shocked at how Siobhan could mention 'fascinating' and 'the Greeks' in the same sentence. Even Megan stopped to stare.

"Light reading?" Wally squeaked. "You call Virgil's _Aeneid_ light reading?"

Conner and Megan exchanged puzzled looks and shrugged. "Isn't that twelve books in total," Megan asked.

"Twelve?! I gotta get started on my summer homework then," Wally paused to think and slowly turned to Robin and Siobhan. "Why were you guys gone for so long?" Behind him, Robin saw Conner slyly grinning at them, his focus on brightly colored characters on T.V diverted to them.

"Get real, dude," Robin snapped.

"Really, Wally? Did you really think that we were doing something," Siobhan sarcastically added in.

"Aw, so you guys weren't up to anything," Wally whined, annoyed that he got excited for nothing. "I swear, you guys really need a push."

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji: <strong>So . . . I was pretty much BS-ing this chapter since I know nothing about the mechanics of kissing and stuff. And so, I think I overdid it on the fluff.

***LE BOW OF A THOUSAND APOLOGIES***

It was kinda hard to balance the kiss scene out properly since Siobhan is a noob at this kinda stuff and Robin is kinda like the debonair, wildly charismatic dude he'll be in the future (in the comics). Gawd, I can't explain this TT_TT cuz I don't have the know-how. It was suppose to be awkward and innocent, but a little on the wild side.

And then I finally get to bring Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Joker back! YAY. Anyways after this chapter, I'm gonna rest for a bit, get the feeling back in my arms before typing again. Review~


	20. Chapter 20

**Shitz-Suji:** January sucks. I was going to update before a piano recital, but I got lazy. Then three weeks later, I reread everything and scrapped it. This chapter was rewritten like five times LOL. I'm just so happy I got an A on my math finals and YJ is back. Enjoy~

* * *

><p>(Gotham City, July 19, 2012. 5:16 a.m)<p>

"Is he here? Ooh, I wanna see him! Wait, can we eve-"

"Harley, calm down," Ivy strode down the meticulously clean corridors, eyeing the security guards that were trailing them from behind. Joker wasn't really helping their case by playing with his switchblade. Not that she gave a damn anyways, those men were pigs, proven when they 'pretended' to strip-search Harley. Luckily for them, she was really carrying lethal weapons.

So why did they let Joker keep his knife?

Didn't matter anyways. They were all jammed into a dinky elevator that moved as slow as Killer Croc when he was on meds. Not a pretty sight. Once they arrived at the lab, the guards shoved them all out and left, leaving them alone with a woman in a lab coat.

A very unstable woman in a lab coat holding a hand saw.

(Mount Justice, July 19, 2012. 7:34 a.m)

After that horrible mission in New Orleans yesterday, Siobhan wanted to take some time off and relax. Her face was still a bit sore from being punched by Tuppence Terror, which still had a slight red coloring near the impact area. But nothing covered unsightly bruises like Artemis's concealer.

She was just going to sneak out for a bit and browse the farmer's market in Happy Harbor, maybe take a ride or two on the trolley to see what the hype was about. And there were the quaint cafes with different varieties of desserts to try out, a much better alternative than eating leftovers and staying cooped up in the Cave.

Just as Siobahn stepped out of her room, she heard a familiar laugh and saw someone waiting beside the door. The smirk, the sunglasses, and red hoodie, definitely Robin. But the she heard from him was that he was going to be gone for three weeks on a top secret mission with Batman.

"Hello~ Going somewhere," he said, standing up straight.

"Why are you here," she asked curtly. "Aren't you suppose to be with the Batman?"

"I haven't seen you for three weeks and I don't even get a 'I miss you'?" Robin put a hand over his chest and sighed. "That's so sad, Shivette."

"Well, it's only been two and half," she began, "and what happened to discreti-"

Of course, Robin didn't let her finish.

It was nothing major, just a peck on the lips. Still, Siobhan felt her cheeks turn tomato red in a second. He might have noticed as well since he was grinning like an idiot. "The others aren't awake yet, so the secret's still safe."

"Sure," she rolled her eyes and brushed some non-existent dirt off her dress. Siobhan knew she should have just put on some sweats today, it was better than enduring the teasing remarks that were to come. Some sneakers sounded nice too, but it was a shame that she didn't own any.

"Come on," Robin whispered, grabbing her hand. "Let's get out of here before Wally wakes up to use the bathroom."

(Gotham City, July 19, 2012. 5:19 a.m)

"Whoa, what happened, lady," Harley asked, pointing to a bundle covered by a white cloth on the examination table. "Did someone get up in your grill or somethin'?"

"Harley, stop," Poison Ivy warned. She stepped forward from the group to casually examine Aris. The woman was a sobbing mess, her sleek red hair was matted down by sweat and blood, her mascara left black smudges around her eyes, and Ivy wasn't sure if it was lipstick or more blood on her lips. Even so, she still looked sane enough to help her.

"It's been two weeks, you got what you wanted Aris. Now, give me what I want," Ivy demanded. "Or I turn you over to the cops." The green-skinned villainess approached her slowly, clenching her hands into fists in case something went wrong.

A sob-like cackle escaped Aris, who dropped the saw and clutched the folds of her coat. "I-I can't believe you found me so quickly, Vincent," she said hysterically. "My name is Angelique."

Ivy suddenly found herself pushed against the wall by Aris. The reek of dried blood and liquor mixed together was making her want to vomit. "You haven't forgotten me, have you Vincent? I'm your Angelique! I'm still h-here!"

From the corner of her eye, Ivy saw Harley take out her collapsible hammer, ready to bash Aris's skull in. But she shook her head. Harley could have her fun after she got what she wanted.

"How many times have I helped you, right? You understand how I feel, right?" The hands that kept Ivy pinned to the wall dug their sharp, manicured nails into her skin. "I want you. I want to keep you by my side, Vincent."

"Aris, where is the girl? Where is S10B14N," Ivy snarled.

"It's Roxanne, isn't it?" Aris dug her nails deeper and deeper into her skin, drawing blood. "My perfect bitch sister. Once she saw you, she couldn't keep her hands off you!"

Even though Aris continued into her sprial of self-destruction, she calmed herself down enough to let Poison Ivy go. Ivy rubbed the bleeding marks on her arms as the woman grabbed a cigarette from her coat pocket.

"I wanted us to be together, without any obstacles, so I killed her before you came back."

(Happy Harbor, July 19, 2012. 8:21 a.m)

"Why are we here again? It smells like burning cow poop," Robin huffed. "Don't you want go get some breakfast first?"

"I am getting breakfast. Fresh breakfast," Siobhan gathered some apples in a bag and tied it. "Then I'm going to stop at the bakery for some cake."

"How are you going to pay? They don't exactly accept credit cards, you know. And I didn't bring my wallet," he countered.

"Like I don't know how a farmer's market works. Look," Siobhan produced a roll of cash that had been tucked away in the belt of her dress. "Plus, you're the one who wanted to come along."

She went up to the stall owner and paid for the apples, then dragged him away to another stall to look for peaches. Later on, an elderly woman gave them a few lychees to try when she noticed how fascinated Siobhan was with them, even after the poor woman sat through a five minute history lecture about the fruits.

"Ok, we got the fruit and the bakery's gonna be opened in like three minutes," Robin said. "Why aren't you getting in line?"

"Because I'm still looking for watermelons," Siobhan said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But I can't find them."

"That's because they're probably all sold out. People love watermelons in the summer."

" . . . Let's just go to the bakery."

There was a long line at the doors. The smell of freshly baked pastries was making Robin really hungry, so he took an apple from Siobhan's sack and ate it. It was probably the sweetest thing he ever put in his mouth. When that was finished, Siobhan decided to break out the lychees because they were that good.

"We should go back later and buy some more of this," she declared, grinning.

Siobhan quickly stepped out of line to throw away the bag of lychees husks and seeds, disappointed that there were none left. Meanwhile, the line was getting shorter and shorter until finally, they reached the front of the line.

"Hi, welcome to the Doughboy's Bakery and Cafe. What can I get you guys," the cashier asked.

Robin quickly picked a cheese danish and ordered a cup of coffee unlike Siobhan, who was completely enamored by the cakes and tarts on display.

"I'm not very hungry, but I'll take four vanilla scones, four baklava, three caramel mille feuille, two pieces of green tea cake, four tiramisu cupcakes, and four red velvet cupcakes," she said in one breath.

" . . . Awesome. Want anything to drink," he asked uncertainly

"She'll have a chai tea," Robin said. Siobhan, who was looking at the picture of a frappacino with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle, smacked him on the arm.

(Gotham City, July 19, 2012. 5:27 a.m)

"You killed your own sister? Cuckoo~" Harley leaned against the Joker and laughed, clearly enjoying the twisted show that was going on.

"So, is that her under the blanket," Ivy asked cautiously. She took a tentative step towards the examination table, but was blocked by Aris herself.

"Careful," she sang. "You don't want to wake my honey up. He's total grouch. But that's not what you want." She sounded almost like herself again.

Joker toyed with his swtichblade, using it to pick his fingernails. "Not really, but it's not like I care about the kid. I want some . . . eh exciting to happen." He accidentally pushed the switchblade too far down his index fingernail and noticed that it was starting to bleed. "What'dya know."

"Mistah J, lemme help you," Harley shrieked and tore off the right sleeve of her costume.

While the two were exchanging nonsensical sentiments, Ivy swatted the cigarette out of Aris's hands and slapped her in hopes to get her to focus. "I know you're going crazy, but I want to know where is S10B14N!"

"Y-You hit me, Vincent," Aris whimpered. "Your Angelique." She picked herself up and brushed her fingers over a red mark on her cheek. "You hit me," she repeated.

Like a mad woman, Aris flew into a tantrum, flinging her arms everywhere and kicking everything her feet could touch like a child. Ivy watched with pity and horror as she began crying, begging for forgiveness from an unknown entity and damning her sister to hell.

"You had to be such a whore, Vincent! When you got my sister pregnant, I thought you were finally going to leave her! But no! You married her! No, she made you marry her," she screamed. "If you told me earlier, I could have taken care of the problem!"

Poison Ivy dodged the barrage of lab equipment and liquor bottles thrown at her. She reminded herself that Aris was the only one who had a clue where her darling was, and if waiting for a drunk, insane woman to calm down to tell her, than so be it.

(Happy Harbor, July 19, 2012. 8:52 a.m)

Nothing beat eating breakfast right next to the harbor. In the morning, it smelled like clean, but that was because the fishing boats weren't back yet. The strong scent of cinnamon cut through the salty sea air as Siobhan blew on her tea.

"Thanks . . . for tagging along this morning, Robin," she mumbled.

"You're welcome," he replied awkwardly.

They should've been back at the Cave thirty minutes ago before everyone woke up, but Robin insisted that they stay and enjoy breakfast. He told her what he could about the mission with Batman and made a few jokes.

In turn, Siobhan shared what happened in the two and a half weeks he was gone, exceeding the maximum number of words she's ever used in one day and occasionally going off topic.

"Let's go get some more lychees," Robin said as he finished his coffee. "We gotta go before this place gets packed."

"Yeah . . . "

Once she finished her drink and threw away her trash, he grabbed her hand and ran back towards the farmer's market. Siobhan barely managed to hold onto her bags of apples and peaches and the box of pastries with the other hand, and it wasn't easy running in flats.

"The lychees aren't going anywhere," she yelled over the marketplace clamor. "Slow down!"

"What," he yelled back. "I can't hear you." But he slowed down enough so she wouldn't have to suffer much. The elderly woman happily greeted them as they arrived at her stall.

"You guys back so soon?" she asked jokingly.

"Yes, we'd like to get some more lychees," Siobhan replied.

"Ok, hold your horses," the woman got off her stool and hobbled to the back to get some, moving some crates as she did so. But a few minutes later, she came back with two bags of lychees and winked at Siobhan.

"I'm throwing in the second one for free because your girlfriend is such a cutie pie," she said, smiling at Robin.

"She is, isn't she," he agreed, smirking. Siobhan scowled, but it was ruined by the furious blush that took over her cheeks. She didn't dwell on it for very long though as her eye caught a sign hanging above the lettuce crates.

"Chocolate covered fruits, four dollars a pound," she read. That sounded delicious. Siobhan handed the bags of fruit to Robin and turned to the stall owner. "You wouldn't happen to have some ready, right?"

"No, but the chocolate's almost warmed up. Why don't you guys come into the back." The elderly woman hobbled past a few crates with Robin and Siobhan following behind until she stopped in front of two large pots sitting on a fire. A large block of solid chocolate sat a few feet away from the pot, completely cut into smaller slabs.

"I got milk chocolate and white chocolate, Your choice."

"I choose both," Siobhan said instantly. "Can we cover the lychees with chocolate?"

Robin made a face, but handed a bag of the fruits over to her. If he didn't like them, then there would be more for her.

"Of course dear, you can dip anything in chocolate! Let me get started then!" The woman rolled up her sleeves and grabbed a ladle.

"I'm helping," Siobhan went toward the pots, stopping only to give the box of pastries to Robin. "Go wait outside, Robi-Robert. It'll just take a few minutes," she said nervously.

That had been a close call, but thankfully, Siobhan corrected herself before any real damage occurred. As she started to peel the lychees, she noticed the suspicious stare the stall owner gave her.

"Robert, eh? He looks like a 'Richie' to me," The older woman said, smiling at his retreating back.

(Gotham City, July 19, 2012. 5:46 a.m)

It has been about twenty minutes and Aris was still ranting and still crying. As she downed her second bottle of vodka, her hand reached into the liquor cabinet only to find that it was finally empty.

"What are you looking at," she screeched at Ivy. "I told you, I cremated the remains of Roxanne!"

At least, the kicking and hitting had subsided, but it was not very pleasant to be yelled at by someone. Ivy casually dodged another bottle that had come flying her way and took a seat on a nearby table. Every time she tried to approach the examination table, Aris would scream or cry or beg.

"Since I first saw you twenty years ago, I couldn't get you out of my mind," Aris said to herself. "I want to hold that handsome head of yours in my arms . . . and kiss it. Ravish me, Vincent. Yes . . . right there. How does it feel to be free of Roxanne? I've missed you . . . so much. Oswald was such a good boy and he always like to play with fire . . ."

Aris crawled up to the examination table and lifted the sheets. Underneath was indeed a dead body, the body was naked and disfigured with multiple cuts and bruises. But the most disturbing thing was that the head was detached from the neck.

"What did you do," Ivy exclaimed. The blood from the carcass sploshed on the floor and Aris happily skipped through it, hugging the head like it was a teddy bear.

(Happy Harbor, July 19, 2012. 9:39 a.m)

"Bye, come back next time! I'll have some more lychees for you," The elderly woman hobbled back into her stall, counting the bills that Siobhan handed her earlier.

"My name is Robert? Why couldn't you think of something cooler," Robin asked, smirking. "I am your boyfriend after all~"

It felt weird saying it, but they were technically together anyways, so that was his title now. Besides, Robin had to admit he liked seeing Siobhan turn red. Well, he couldn't right now because of the stuff he was holding and because she wouldn't look at him.

She looked really cute today, as opposed to when she didn't care and wore her pajamas as her day clothes. But he couldn't just tell her because, well just because.

"Hey, walk faster! I don't want to be dragging you back to the Cave, slowpoke," she yelled. Oh man, when did she get five yards ahead of him?

"Wait up, Shivette!"

(Mount Justice, July 19, 2012. 10:03 a.m)

"You guys are like the awesom-est friends. Ever." Wally gave Siobhan and Robin a teary-eyed look and dug into a plate of cake and chocolate covered fruit, covering his mouth with crumbs and smudges of chocolate.

"Yeah, I mean these chocolate covered strawberries are delicious," Megan chirped. "Where did you guys go to get them?"

"You guys went shopping," Artemis asked skeptically. "Like together shopping?"

"Well, yes," Siobhan nibbled on her apple and looked pointedly at the archer. "How else do you bring this much food back to the Cave?"

"Robin gives you the money and you go shopping, duh," Wally replied. "But this counts as a date! My best buddy went on a date!" Even when he was in the middle of stuffing his face, he was looking way too smug.

"Don't push your luck, freeloader."

While the others were enjoying their second breakfast, Robin and Siobhan shared a look before they went their separate ways, one to the library and one to the Zeta-Tubes headed for home just to 'check in'.

(Gotham City, July 19, 2012. 6:12 a.m)

"You want to know what I did to your son, Vincent? I helped him, made him stronger so he could find you again! So. Stop. Yelling. At. Me!" Aris paced back and forth in her lab, having abandoned the actual Vincent Laurent's decapitated head ten minutes ago when she became defensive of some kid named 'Oswald'.

By now, Joker and Harley had gotten bored. They went back upstairs, terrorizing the guards and servants. Luckily, Ivy had reminded them to cut the telephone lines and wi-fi, otherwise there would be cops swarming the place before they could say 'sorry'.

"It's not my fault that Roxanne had a miscarriage! You pumped all that shit into the baby to give it 'superpowers'. I can't believe that my sister even let you! You 'killed' her, I just finished the job. And by the way, Oswald loved me until he found out I was his aunt," Aris flung a few expensive looking tool against the wall in her fury and lovingly stroked the head to calm herself down.

"He tried to go out and warn that runaway experiment and got his ass kicked. Can you believe that I teamed up with a bunch of villains to find it? For you?"

Ivy straightened up, exhausted from the constant yelling and crying. The faster she knew, the faster she could get rid of Aris and be on her merry way.

"And Roxanne was pretty much pushing daisies, so I put an air bubble in her veins. You know, your shit would've had a nice life in the orphanage if it told my associate where you were, but noo, it had to blow up the whole friggin' building," Aris took a few moments to catch her breath, untangling the tangles and knots in her hair. "I couldn't let the cops connect it to us, so I bribed child services and had it sent to the Asylum."

"You what?" Poison Ivy took three strides and grabbed Aris by her throat, intending to strangle whatever life she had left out her. She couldn't help but feel sympathy for the dead man on the examination table.

She spent almost four years learning to hate the man, listening to her little girl's nightmares about him, comforting her when the therapists dug too deep to learn more about him, but when really, they were played by Aris's twisted obsession. Ivy still hated the man because of his own obsessions and cruelty, but it was slightly lessened now.

"I don't want to clean up your mess. It would've died anyways, just a matter of time before Batman decides to end it. So I don't really know where it is nor do I give a-" When Aris tried to reach for another cigarette in her coat pocket, Ivy squeezed.

"I'm gonna have fun with you, Doctor," she seethed. "You wanna know why? Because you fucked with the wrong person."

(Mount Justice, July 19, 2012. 9:57 p.m)

"Robin, are you in there?" A timid knock came after that. And another. And another until Robin opened the door himself.

"It was opened," he said, smirking. He quickly pulled her in, knowing that someone was walking by the corner and didn't want her to be caught. "So what do I owe to this late night visit to my room~"

"It's barely ten," Siobhan deadpanned. "Please put on a shirt."

"You don't lik-"

"Please put on a shirt," she repeated. "Or I will throttle you." She shifted her gaze away uncomfortably, but there was really nothing to look at except for the trash can. Even so, Robin grabbed a t-shirt off his chair and put it on just to preserve her modesty.

"Fine, shirt on. Happy," he asked.

"I'm never happy. But . . ." Siobhan pulled out a wrapped box from behind her and set it on his desk. "I saved a box of chocolate-covered lychees and hid them in the cupboard this morning," she said mischievously.

She unwrapped the napkins covering the box, opened it, and poured some of the sweets into his hand. "Hey Robin, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, shoot," he popped some of the white-chocolate covered fruits into his mouth and laid down on his bed. Siobhan sat down on the swivel chair on his desk and scooted towards him.

"Is everything alright in your home? I know its not my place to ask, but I've noticed you spending more time at the Cave," she said quietly, "more than usual. Even before you left for the mission."

"Yeah, I just pretty much camp here for the summer. My folks know that," Robin lied. Bruce didn't care if he ate dinner at the manor or the Cave. As long as there was some way to communicate between them, then he was fine. And his 'folks' were dead.

Maybe it was because he liked beating Wally at video games or eating sugary and salty junk foods Alfred never stocked at home. Or it could be the boyish persistence he had that drove him to follow Siobhan around like a puppy. He did learn a lot about literature in the past month or so just by talking to her alone.

"Hand me some more lychees," Robin suddenly said.

"I'm not your maid, do it yourself," she countered.

"But you're closer."

She wordlessly produced a disk of moisture from the air and froze it under the little box, lifting it off the desk and into her hands. Siobhan took a handful for herself and gave him the rest of the box.

"You look really pretty today," Robin casually said.

"You said the same thing to me about three weeks ago," she said. Siobhan ate the last of her lychees and folded her empty hands primly on her lap, looking as stoic as a teenage girl could manage. It looked like it was suppose to be intimidating, but with the polka-dot dress and messy hair, she came off as a character in a 1960s era sitcom.

"I mean it though, you look pretty," he sighed and put the box of chocolate-covered lychees on his nightstand. If there was one thing he couldn't understand, it was why girls couldn't accept a compliment when it is given directly to them.

" . . . Then thank you."

"Hey, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I don't pay attention to the girlfriend," he asked teasingly, voice low and husky.

"What?" Siobhan shifted her gaze to the wall as the heat crept up to her cheeks. "What kind of question is that?"

"It wasn't a question. But if you don't answer, you can't leave." Robin sat up and watched in amusement as she tried her best to look angry with him. As he waited, he thought back to all those times he was on the receiving end of those glares, how was it that she used to scare him?

"I'm not answering it. It would undermine my-"

Of course, he didn't let her finish the rest of her sentence.

He kissed her cheek to get her attention first. Siobhan snapped her head back to face him, and that was enough for Robin to bring his hand to her face and pull her closer.

It was officially their second kiss and she was still hesitant, allowing Robin to completely dominate her. And it felt really good to take things slow, rather than just turning everything into a messy make out session. He started off playfully, short, innocent kisses with the occasional nibble on her bottom lip.

One arm went around her waist while the other traced her jawline, eventually finding its way to the back of her head and entwined itself in her hair. Siobhan soon relented and clutched his shoulders as he guided her into a deeper kiss.

The awkward positioning of their seats weren't really helping the situation, but that was quickly taken care of when Robin pulled her chair closer. His mouth was pressed warmly against hers, moving at a deliciously slow pace. She was learning quickly, mimicking his rhythm and intensity as it grew more and more intense.

"No-" was all Siobhan managed to say when Robin released her for air, staying close enough so that his lips were barely millimeters away from hers.

"Not good enough," he smirked, purposely lowering his voice. "But I am going to get an answer."

"Good lu-" she ended up with an abrupt hitch of the breath when he lightly pressed his lips against hers once more, enjoying this little game. One hand on his shoulder slipped and fell down to his chest and tried to push him back. But Robin gave a gentle nip to her bottom lip again, building up on it until she couldn't resist anymore. Her fingers curled slightly on the top of his chest as he deepened the kiss again.

He pulled back after a few more minutes, breathing in shallow pants. Siobhan slumped against him, completely dazed and out of breath as Robin gave her a small hug.

"What about now," he asked, resuming his usual smirk.

"You really are terrible . . ." she muttered after some time of unresponsiveness. Siobhan pried his arms away from her and sat up, a pleasant shade of pink dusting her cheeks. "It's getting late, you should get some sleep . . ."

"It's barely 10:30, Shivette," Robin said. Besides, he wasn't done with their little game yet.

"I know," she gave him a faint smile and stood up to put the chair back where it was before she moved it. Siobhan headed for the door, but paused mid-way and turned back.

Robin was just about to lay down and get under his covers when he unexpectedly felt her kiss him lightly on the cheek. It was totally random and sudden, which was why he didn't react before she pulled away.

"What was that for," he asked as she averted her eyes after that.

" . . . Um, see you . . . tomorrow," she mumbled shyly in reply.

The next second, she was out the door before he could say something back. Robin flopped down on his bed, unconsciously brushing his finger where she had kissed him before knocking out.

(Gotham City, July 19, 2012. 7:33 a.m)

Ivy rubbed her skin in hopes of ridding herself of the smell of vomit. She would've used the hand sanitizer she found in a drawer, but some of the chemicals in the disinfectant were toxic to her skin, being that they were found in pesticides. It was an exhausting morning.

Harley Quinn flounced through the lab, her hammer in one arm and a big grin on her face. "Mistah J and I took care of the goon upstairs," she peered around the area. "Where's the crazy lady?"

"She cut her wrists. I didn't even see it coming," Ivy looked down coldly at a limp figure on the ground near her and prodded the scalpel nearby with her foot, wetting it with fresh blood. "The wounds were too deep. I couldn't help her."

"So what now. Ivy?"

"Let's go back the hideout. I'm dying for a drink and a shower."

(Mount Justice, July 21, 2012. 8:17 a.m )

It was a wonderful morning. Raquel had prepared breakfast for those who woke up early and they had a little sing-along in the kitchen. Now, they were waiting for the Saturday morning cartoons to begin, or so Siobhan had thought.

"This is Chris Thompson, reporting live from Lafayette Cemetery in Gotham City. Earlier this morning, a macabre discovery shocked funeral goers when they discovered two corpses in an open grave. The deceased are identified as former socialites: Vincent Laurent and Angelique Arisa Wilson, found with multiple cuts and trauma to the head. More of this on your 9 o'clock breaking news. Back to you, Cat."

"Boy, the news keeps getting more and more violent each day," Raquel said, chewing on her oatmeal. Her hand went for the last waffle on the platter at the center of the island counter, but smacked out of the way by Wally's.

"Too bad, so sad," Before she could retrieve the waffle via force field, the speedster took a bite from it and ran out of the kitchen. Kaldur shook his head as to discourage her from giving chase and returned back to eating his oatmeal.

Even so, there were still the english muffins that no body touched. With a sigh, she took one and grabbed the butter knife. "Shiv, what's wrong, girl? You haven't touched your oatmeal."

" . . . I don't feel so hungry anymore."

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji: <strong>I always kinda thought of Siobhan as a old-timey character in a modern setting. Kinda like Rosie the Riveter, but in the 60s. It's really hard to put her in 'normal' clothes like skinny jeans and chucks, especially when she just got out of prison clothes/straitjackets which was why she started with the slacks and stuff.

So I based the outfit she wore from something I saw in American Horror Story: Asylum. My goodness, the costumes, characters, and story line were delicious. It's a vintage style white dress, black polka-dots, knee-length skirt paired with red flats, nothing to 'all over the place', but subtly flirty. Of course, it's neutralized by her 'almost' permanent scowl.

As for Robin, I know he grows up to be a womanizer and playboy like Bruce, but that's gotta stem from something. I'm guessing that since Bruce takes him all the parties and galas, he got to meet _a lot_ of girls and had his fair share of kissing. He probably had a 'gung ho' relationship with Zatanna and had fun with her and now that she's gone and Siobhan's here, he's gonna learn that its not all about the 'fun and making out' that defines a relationship.

***Bow of a thousand sorry-s*** I haven't really talked to my fellow YJ fans at school because of my schedule and practices and studying for finals for a long time. So, sorry for the really long whatever *this* was. Review~


	21. Chapter 21

**Shitz-Suji: **So, so, so sorry about the delay. A lot of stuff happened and I was kind of suspended between school work and S.A.T prep. First and foremost, I'd like thank you readers for reviewing. A hundred reviews was lot more than I expected for my first fanfiction, so I kinda broke down when I checked my email one day afterschool and it said I got a new review. LOL

Now that I got all my tests over with, I should be updating a lot more. Uhhhhhh, so thank you guys and Enjoy~

* * *

><p>(Gotham City, August 14, 2012. 9:19 p.m)<p>

"Oh really? You don't seem like a circus boy," Siobhan bluntly admitted. "So how did you meet Batman?"

"I . . . I can't really tell you that," Robin smiled off to the side and set down his carton of frozen yogurt. "You know . . . the secret I.D. thing."

"Oh. Sorry. I forgot."

They were at the park, eating a mountain of unhealthy snacks they had bought from a nearby convenience store. It was better than the alternative Robin proposed, which was to go to the movie theater and pay an exorbitant amount of money to watch a movie.

Robin sighed, a mischievous smirk growing on his lips. "Hey, give me some of those gummy worms before you eat them all." He snatched the bag from her hands before she could protest and popped a few of the treats into his mouth. "I think I'll keep the these."

With a roll of her eyes, Siobhan picked up a package of cookies from the pile of remaining snacks, popping open the bag as she glared over at Robin. However, her grimace quickly turned to a faint smile and she snorted. "You look ridiculous."

"What?" he asked innocently. "Is there something wrong with my face?"

They both burst into random laughter until they could laugh no more and Siobhan smiled as she closed her eyes, content with just being where she was at the moment. Over the past month or so, she found herself indulging in activities she use to find silly. Activities like watching a comedy film for cheap laughs or table hockey using the Cave's holographic computer were genuinely fun to her now, thanks to the Team . . . and a certain boy sitting beside her.

And it was fun right now, loitering at the park at night, not having to care about the fact that Siobhan had to unload the laundry when she got back.

And that's was when she felt Robin taking her cookies.

"No." She flicked him forehead and held the package as far away from him as possible. While he tried to reach for the cookies, she stuffed as many into her face as possible and chewed as fast as she could.

"I just wanted one."

"You already took my gummy worms."

"You could have taken them back," he challenged. "Why didn't you?"

"Because there is more." Siobhan wiped the crumbs off with her sleeves and randomly snatched a bag of spicy Chicken Whizees from the pile. "But to tell you the truth, I'm not hungry anymore."

"Whoa. That's something I never thought I'd hear you say," joked Robin. He paid for that comment with a sharp smack to the back of his head, grinning cheekily as Siobhan cracked her knuckle.

She tossed the bag back onto the pile and crossed her arms and legs. "I never thought I'd hear myself saying it too." Siobhan took out her phone and checked the time, looking around the park once before shutting it off. "Come on, we should head back. It's getting late now."

"Already? But the night's still young . . ."

Smiling lazily at her, Robin plucked a few strands of hair out of her face. She instinctively slapped his hand away, but the corners of her mouth turn upward and she paused for a moment to think. It wasn't necessary since she knew she was just going to cave into whatever he wanted to do, but that didn't mean she couldn't toy with him for a bit.

"Come on, you can't be serious about going back right now. Don't you want to see the city, Shivette," he asked, his tone slightly worried.

Siobhan decided to end her fun right then and there. "Relax," she sighed. "I wasn't going to say no."

Deciding to ignore the possible negative implications of her answer, he leaned over to kiss her on the forehead, earning him a surprised squeak from her, and started picking up their things. With her help of course.

(Mount Justice, August 14, 2012. 10:28 p.m)

After watching the third season of_ Doogie Howser_, Wally was so tired that he passed over a fifth helping of nachos. More importantly, where was bis best friend and buddy? They were supposed to have a sleep over at Wally's place and have a Harry Potter movie marathon.

He got hooked on the book series a year earlier when Zatanna gave him a long lecture on how magic plays an important part in the world, just like how science influences technological advances, and used herself and her father, or rather Dr. Fate as main examples. She finally gave up a few days later and gave him a copy of_ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_ to read, and after the three chapters, he became an instant fan.

But he'd stubbornly stuck to the belief that magic was not real. Harry Potter was just a fantasy world where the special effects and magic were created using a green screen and photoshop. Zee and Dr. Fate's genetic code allowed them to use the other 80% of their brains, giving them abilities similar to 'magic'. Magic was not real.

It's been two hours since Robin was suppose to meet up with him. He didn't call or leave a message or anything, so Wally concluded that he was out on Dynamic Duo business. He could've at least called.

Meanwhile, back at Central City, Wally's grandma was calling him non-stop to ask when his 'little friend' was going to come because there were twelve pizzas sitting on her dining table that were getting cold. Torn between the prospect of lukewarm pizza and the possibility of Robin making it back to the cave, Wally chose the latter, counting on Batman to not keep his friend out late.

It was about eleven when he woke to the sound of someone coming through the Zeta-Tube. Though feeling groggy, he had enough energy to get up and march over to Robin and give him a piece of his mind when he stopped at the last second and ducked behind a nearby corner.

His best friend and Siobhan, walking through the Cave. No way. The speedster couldn't hear what they were saying from where he was, but he couldn't get closer or his friends would know that he was there. Then all of a sudden, Siobhan kissed Robin on the cheek. _On the cheek._

Wally almost half screamed and half shrieked in excitement, his hands going for the phone in his pocket. He made sure to be quiet because he didn't want to ruin the moment and scare them off.

Remembering that he left his phone on the coffee table, he was about go back and get it when Siobhan turned to leave. Good thing he stayed a second more or otherwise, he would've missed something totally unexpected.

"Just kidding," Robin's voice echoed through the Cave. Sidestepping in front of Siobhan, he grabbed her by the waist and kissed her right on the lips. After a few minutes, she broke it off and said something to Robin, who laughed, and left. The Boy Wonder stood still for a few minutes like a love struck idiot before calling out, "You can come out now. I know you're there, Wally."

"What happened? I kinda fell asleep there and . . . dude, when did all _that _happen," the speedster asked as he stepped out. "And stop with the ninja thing. You know it creeps me out."

"I was trained by the best," Robin replied smugly. He handed him a bag of junk food and walked towards his room, yawning. "Go easy on the stuff, K.F."

(Mount Justice, August 14, 2012. 11:36 p.m)

As wonderful as the past few hours had been, Siobhan still had some unfinished business to take care of. After nights and nights of research and tracking, she finally located the rest of Arkham's rogue escapees and she was going to bring them down. Except . . .

_Except what?_

Sitting down on her bed, she picked up the book Megan had given to her for Christmas and flipped through the pages. In truth, Siobhan didn't want to go after her fellow escapees. Life here at the Cave has been the most stable period in her life and to jeopardize that would be plain stupid. And what she get if she managed to put the Joker, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy back in their cells in Arkham? A medal and a pat on the back?

Siobhan scoffed at the absurdity of the scenario and put the book back on her nightstand. The longer those three stayed out there, the more dangerous it'd be for the people of Gotham. It had taken months for Siobhan to come to terms with that fact, given her emotional ties to Poison Ivy and Harley Ivy, but she had to accept it.

She suited up and quietly slipped out of the Cave, using the Zeta-Tube on the other side of the Cave to avoid making to much noise. Once out, she wasted no time in making her way to Ace Chemical Processing Plant, an abandoned, rundown factory where the homeless gathered to shelter themselves and the current hideout of the Joker.

He must've been insanely stupid to do what he did, leaving chemicals in random places. The clown prince of crime used a variation of his famous Joker Venom, its main component is a mutated strain of Strycine, which was found in pesticides that Ace Chemicals use to produce. It acted like Joker Venom except that it wasn't Joker Venom, so the media labeled the attacks as the work of a copy-cat maniac using Nitrous Oxcide, more commonly known as laughing gas.

But if someone was to look very closely at the chemical structure of the gas, they'd see that it contains small traces of Hydrogen Cyanide, a lethal toxin that attacked the nervous system. It wasn't difficult for Siobhan to get her hands on a sample. She simply went down to an offline subway cart, which had been doused with a large amount of the Joker Venom variation, and used a swab to collect a sample.

Using a microscope she obtained from one of Dr. Vincent's abandoned laboratories, she identified the poison and had been carefully tracking the areas in an attempt to prevent more attacks, but failed. Actually, the notion that the Arkham fugitives were at the chemical plant was just a hunch. The famous story detailing the origin of the Joker said that he fell into a vat of chemicals that turned him into what he is today, so it could be possible that he was there.

If she was wrong, she could always try the Gotham Botanical Garden. There was a good possibility that she might find Poison Ivy there since the villainess has used it as a hideout many times before.

(Ace Chemical Plant, August 15, 2012. 12:49 a.m)

The security was tightly knotted. Armed guards stood at every possible entrance holding machine guns, knives, grenades, and etc. Even so, Siobhan's trick of vaporizing her body easily got her past the guard. Once she made it inside the building, she scanned the area, taking note of the dense forestation on the floor of the building to the guards that patrolled the walkways.

Honestly, how could this remain undiscovered for such a long time?

On the other side of the plant was a heavily guarded door. Obviously, whatever was behind it must be pretty important if the Joker was willing to have a squad of eight guards stand outside of it. Siobhan didn't want to waste time on planning a way to get it to open, so she pointed a finger at the guards and blasted them.

"What the fuck happened," cried a nearby guard.

"Who cares?! Check the perimeters, bitch," another one replied.

Before those two could warn their friends, Siobhan laid waste to them, the rest of the guards inside, and Ivy's miniature forest, leaving everything covered in a thick layer of ice. Running down from her perch, she picked off the ones who remained relatively unhurt and darted towards the door.

Suddenly, two tendrils of wood and leaves came crashing down on her. A familiar figure descended from above on a vinewood trunk and stepped daintily on the frozen floor.

"Darling, it's been a whil-" A barrage of icicles interrupted the villainess before she could finish her sentence. Shocked, Poison Ivy lifted herself to a safer distance between herself and her attacker, a flurry of new roots and branches breaking through the ice, ready to do her bidding if required.

"What's gotten into you?" the woman peered down, her face contorted into a concerned grimace. "It's been months since we've seen each other and you start attacking before I even get to say hello?"

From under her mask, Siobhan had to bite down on her tongue to keep herself from talking, least she give way to saying something that betrayed her thoughts. Remorse and regret tore at her from the inside, but she suppressed and pointed a finger at her former caretaker.

Realizing what she was about to do, Ivy leaped from her spot and jumped onto another branch. With a wave of her hand, sharp pikes of wood and poisonous leaves flew at Siobhan, who barely turned around in time to see the attack coming. But the attack did not land a hit.

The space between the girl and the plants shimmered and collapsed into millions of tiny flecks. Unfortunately for Ivy, the girl's next attack came so fast that she didn't feel herself being cut until she saw she was bleeding.

"I'm sorry. I really am." The next attacked reduced the tree Poison Ivy was standing on to sawdust and sent her crashing to the ground. Severely weakened by the cold temperature and condition, the villainess was at the complete mercy of her former cellmate, who made her way through the tangle of leaves, branches, and frost to deliver the final blow.

Ivy sat up and met the empty gaze of her attacker with a confused stare. "Why darling? What's the matter with you?"

"You've been helping the Joker plant gas bombs around Gotham," she bitterly accused. "The mutated strain of Strycine you created poisons innocent people and causes rapid cell degeneration."

"So," Ivy snapped. She rose to her full height and glared down at Siobhan. "You know what they do to the Earth, how they pollute it, how they keep taking and taking. I'm just getting rid of the weeds."

"That is not a valid justification. You can't s-"

"Oh, but we can."

Siobhan's blood ran cold. She recognized the familiar rasp and smelled something sweet in the air. Joker Venom . . .

She held her breath and slowed her heart rate to a minimal of 55 beats per minute. It didn't matter if the toxin entered her system because her hyper-immune system was more than capable of fighting it off. But the only down side was that she was still susceptible to its side effects, namely the hallucinations.

"Good girls don't come out at night to play. But you're not a very good girl, are you," the Joker drawled.

Harley Quinn bounced over to Ivy and examined her cuts, dabbing at the greenish liquid that oozed from her skin. It dripped from her finger like blood and hit the ground like water, leaving a black mark on the concrete. She jabbed a green finger onto Siobhan's cheek and ran a trail of the stuff across her face.

"You ran away. We looked for a long time to find you. And we did find you, you attacked us. We should . . . hmm . . . _punish_ you." The hallucinations were starting to kick in. One moment, the Joker was still walking behind her, and the next, he was giving Harley Quinn a rather passionate kiss on the lip. Ewww . . .

Then she saw something dart away from the corner of her eye. A cape, lined with canary yellow on the inside. A flash of a smirk. The sound of someone laughing. They were just hallucinations. Only hallucinations.

_"Shiv. Where are you~"_

Another flash of yellow darted by her, streaked with green and black. Something struck her on the chest. An arrow, cutting through skin and sinew and into the thoracic cavity. Siobhan heaved and emptied the contents of her stomach. Her chest throbbed with a phantom pain.

The noises were just in her head. Everything was in her head.

_"Darling, you're crying again."_

Instinctively, she reached up and wiped at her eyes, but they were dry. They felt dry. A green finger dabbed at her eyes again, smearing something warm away from her face, and smiled sadly.

_"I have some cookies if you want."_

Finally fed up with the mind games, Siobhan viciously blasted everyone she saw in sight. Black Canary, Wally, Raquel, Wolf, Kaldur, M'gann, even Poison Ivy when she tried to help her. They did not exist.

Not real.

(Mount Justice, August 15, 2012. 11:47 a.m)

Robin woke up unusually late today. His arm was a bit sore, but that was because he slept on it. He changed into his regular clothes and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and do his normal morning routine when all of a sudden, Wally jumped out from a toilet stall, nearly causing him to choke on the toothpaste foam in his mouth.

"Good morning~ Can't you feel the_ luurve_ in the air," his friend chirped.

"You didn't tell anyone, did you?" Robin spat out the soap and rinsed his mouth.

"Nope. Kept my mouth shut through breakfast and-"

"Good. Keep it that way, K.F."

Wally leaned against the wall and smiled. "There's food waiting for you in the kitchen. I made it myself, so hurry up before it gets_ cold_."

Anything cooked or 'made' by the speedster was bound to be a disaster. Starting with his 'tasty' new culinary invention, cornflake toast, which was literally cornflakes stuck to burnt bread with a heap of butter and maple syrup, to his infamous bacon 'supreme' salad, the manliest breakfast that was ever created.

But to Robin's surprise, the food waiting for him in the kitchen looked pretty decent. Toasted bread, scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, Wally had outdone himself. Or so he thought when Raquel came along and stole one of the sausages, bit into it, and coughed it out in disgust.

"It's stone cold," she exclaimed. She tapped it against the counter and deadpanned. "How were you going to bite into this?"

"Yeah~ How were you going to bite into it," Wally chimed.

"I don't know. You made it." Settling for a glass of milk, he picked up the one that was already poured for him and was about to drink it when he noticed something odd.

"Haha, very funny. K.F," Robin said sarcastically. He put his frozen glass of milk into the microwave and sighed. If it was going to turn out like this, then maybe he could have Siobhan take care of him, maybe leave him as a cube of ice for a while in the sun.

From the side, Raquel put two and two together and eyed Robin with a suspicious look. "Is there something going on that I don't know about?"

"No way, it's just a prank he's pulling. It's n-"

"That was the worst lie I've ever heard~"

Robin was not one to fight a losing battle and judging from the satisfied grin on Wally's face, he already lost this one a long time ago. Picking up his frozen plate of breakfast, he dumped it into a frying pan and turned on the stove. It was almost lunch time as well, so he put a frozen pizza in the oven and was content to wait calmly until the food was done when he heard a loud clearing of the throat.

_"Hello? Is this thing on?"_

The television in the lounge turned itself on, broadcasting the grotesque face of the Joker. Harley Quinn posed dramatically in the background, dressed as a nurse next to a dirty hospital bed.

_"Oh. I forgot to plug in the audio cable. Silly me~"_

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji: <strong>A little cliffhanger for next time. This chapter was a bit rushed since I wrote most of it during my English class. (Haven't written anything for months, so I have to get reintroduced to writing more than 4,000 words). Any constructive criticism is welcomed, point out any errors, flame me, I can take it.

I also want to . . . heh . . . "unveil" a plot bunny of mines that been in my brain since the start of the second season. It's a new fanfiction (_Through the Wall)_ continuing Hypocrisy, but six years later. I've only written like half of the first so far, but I want to publish it soon. Problem is that I still want to finish Hypocrisy. Any solutions? TT_TT

See you soon~ Review~


	22. Chapter 22

**Shitz-suji:** It's been such a long time since I updated, but I still really want to finish up this story. Anyways, lesson learned. I was too ambitious this year. Should've thought things through before I decided to get involved with extra clubs functions and competitions along with AP. But at least I got through it and its summer now. Well, enjoy~

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><p>(Location Unknown, August 15, 2012. 11:56 a.m.)<p>

Everything was so dark. And cold.

Something wet was running down her face. Was it sweat or blood?

Siobhan couldn't tell. Her head felt like lead. She couldn't move or talk, much less process what her situation was now or where she was.

They had tortured her. Strapped her to multiple car batteries and electrocuted her for hours. When she broke free from her restraints at one point, the Joker had beaten her bloody, breaking four of her fingers and dislocating both her shoulders in the process.

Then they tried to obtain information about the League and the Team. She stayed quiet, letting every shock, every punch, and every kick to land on her when even in her condition, she could've perhaps done some damage.

But what was the point?

They knew.

The Team knew everything now. The Joker told them every sordid detail of her story. She saw Raquel's face on the screen, her tiny smile fading to a concerned grimace before finally become an angry snarl.

Like a scared child, she closed her eyes and shut the world out as she pretended not to hear the voices of her team yelling over the speakers.

(Mount Justice, August 15, 2012. 11:42 a.m.)

_"Ahhh, Boy Wonder. I've been hearing a lot about you lately. Quite the little heartbreaker you are,"_ Joker grinned, his red lips pulled back to reveal two rows of ghastly yellow teeth. _"It's a terrible thing to do, toying with someone's feelings . . ."_

"What do you want, you sick fre-" Wally began, brandishing the butter he held menacingly.

"Oh, just a little fun~ We've been so busy disciplining the black sheep of your little flock that we almost forgot to send out some invites to a little party we're throwing."

The camera panned to about thirty or so armed explosives, the attached mechanisms telling Robin that they were long ranged timed explosives

_"So you recognize some of my party favors? Well, We put them all around some cities and it's your job to collect them all before I press this little button here,"_ The Joker gestured at the small control device he held in his hands and pressed his face to the camera, _"and blow the whole east coast off the map with 2500 gallons of pressurized Joker Venom."_

Understanding that the Team was faced with a crisis that they could not handle alone, Robin reached for the phone in his pocket with the intent to notify Batman and the League before the camera panned to a slumped figure chained to a chair, barely alive and bleeding profusely.

A crude head piece attached to four car batteries rested on her head, the padding burnt and coated with sweat.

_"She lied to your little gang of misfits! Pretended to be something she was not!"_ A pale hand stroked her heavily bruised face as almost gently before backhanding it with a sharp crack.

_"Do you even know what she is,"_ he taunted. _"Or what her real name is? Did Batman slip up and let a failed SCIENCE EXPERIMENT bump shoulders with his group of goody two-shoes?"_

The Joker pulled out his switchblade and made a shallow cut on her face, which healed almost a few moments later. There was no sign of any injury save for a little red welt on which the cut had closed upon.

_"You can save her. Or leave her to die. It's your choice and no one would blame you. But either way, time is ticking and my finger is itching."_

The video feed disconnected afterwards, leaving the three teens to digest what just happened in silence.

Robin clenched the phone in pocket and steeled himself. He was suddenly angry at Siobhan. Yes, very angry. And confused. And sad. And hurt.

But personal matters came second to the magnitude of the situation. Alerting the east coast and tracking down the pressurized bombs were top priorities at the moment. He just needed a moment process everything, calculate a plan where things fell into neatly place. Then . . . then what?

(Location Unknown, August 15, 2012. 2:21 p.m.)

The trio left her behind.

Siobhan supposed that in her handicapped state, taking her hostage was too much of a liability. Plus, they've found a new toy to play with: the fate of the east coast of the United States.

Their old one was broken, on the floor, bleeding from internal hemorrhages. The Joker Venom had taken its toll on her, simultaneously eating away at her vital organs and state of sanity. The line between her reality and her worst nightmares blended seamlessly into one horrible reel of terror and regret.

She was going to die soon. The damage done to her body was just too much repair.

There was only two possible scenarios of how her death was going to play out. The venom would slowly invade her central nervous system and she would suffer multiple strokes and seizures before one by one, her organs gave out. Or she could die quickly, having all internal body systems overwhelmed by the venom at the same time, which will all then cease to function at once.

But death wasn't a strange concept to her. Siobhan died thirteen times before as the imperfect results of Laurent's attempts to play God. She just wasn't going to be recreated again after she died.

Accepting this reality made it much easier to act recklessly as Siobhan cut off her pain receptors and forcibly reset her shoulders, paying no attention to how she could've fractured the bone around the joints.

As of now, she was no more than a walking corpse whose only purpose was to clean up the mess she created before permanently shutting down.

(Mount Justice, August 15, 2012. 3:38 p.m.)

The Joker's hack signal did not only disrupt the Holocomputer's control functions, it also disrupted all communication between the Watchtower and the Cave for almost twelve minutes.

Following those twelve minutes, mission control managed to reestablish the com link and contacted the Team, who replayed the situation to Batman and the rest of the League. Immediately understanding the magnitude of the crisis, they deployed Captain Marvel and Hawkman to alert authorities on the east coast to stage a mass civilian evacuation. Within four and a half hours, most of the east coast was deserted, the people having moved to underground shelters or leaving town for somewhere safe.

In the same amount of time, Captain Atom, Robin, and Aqualad worked with the Watchtower's mission control to locate and pinpoint all the explosives that the Joker and his accomplices planted, it seemed, almost months ago.

With less than eight hours and about forty bombs ticking, Batman coordinated the League and Team in a search and disarm mission. They would start at the coast and work their way inland until all forty explosives were offline. A small group would follow behind to smoke out the Joker, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn, as well as any other accomplices they had.

Arkham Asylum was notified of the predicament and was asked to prepare a high security solitary confinement cell for each villain, which could possibly include Siobhan, who, with each passing minute, seemed more and more likely to have double-crossed the Team.

Superboy and Artemis had searched her room, uncovering maps, news articles, and a few files taken from a high security biochemistry lab, which they hid from Batman and Red Tornado. Careful examination of what they found linked her to the brutal murders of two socialites, which greatly disturbed Robin and the rest of the Team.

But before they could start jumping to conclusions, the Team was ordered to move out and rendezvous with Aquaman, Black Canary, and Green Arrow.

"For all we know, Shiv could've been a traitor from the start," Artemis said cautiously. "You guys did say she had close connections with her old gang from Arkham."

Kid scoffed derisively. "She's innocent until proven guilty. We don't know what she had to do with this."

"She could've KILLED two people," Artemis shot back.

Aqualad shifted in his seat, glaring at his bickering teammates. "Enough. Kid is right. We should give her a chance to explain herself before judging what she did."

"Yeah. I mean, everyone is entitled to their secrets, right," Miss Martian asked quietly from the pilot seat.

Artemis shrunk in her chair, remembering the times where she attempted to keep her family connections hidden from the Team at any cost. "I guess so," she replied.

(Metropolis, August 15, 2012. 4:01 p.m)

Metropolis police officer Paul Wilmson was the on duty cop patrolling the cross-section of 3rd street and Valley avenue until his boss, the Chief, gave him the green light to move. When the higher-ups told him and his buddies that a unhinged psycho and his entourage were planning to gas the whole East Coast with lethal laughing gas, he was all for leaving the city with his family, find somewhere safe to hide until this blew over, but he couldn't very well ignore his job and his friends.

Lord almighty, he already missed his Magaret. And to a certain extent, their kids. He wouldn't miss waking up in the middle of the night and changing diapers though, that's for sure.

"10-200, back up needed at Crossflower and Main. Hostile suspect heading towards Valley and Lincoln."

"Roger that," Wilmson replied blankly over the radio. A nut job escaped from the city shelter and was using this opportunity to loot and have fun, or something like that it seemed. No biggie. He'd just corner the suspect at 3rd and let Officer Martinez handle the rest.

Then all of a sudden, he noticed something falling from the sky, some kind of white powder, like snow.

It was snow. Snow in the middle of August.

Sweet Jesus, what was hell was going on today?

Wilmson pulled out of his cozy parking spot and all but ducked when an unseen force slammed into the side of his car, blasting cold air through his opened window. He brushed it off in time to see a hoard of police cars race by, their sirens synchronized in one terrible, deafening sound.

Dear Lord, he just wanted today to be over.

(Metropolis, August 15, 2012. 3:57 p.m.)

How unpleasant was it to be chased after by gun-wielding, dog-handling maniacs?

She had just made it out of the building she was held hostage at when she encountered two police officer patrolling the bay area.

After one man unleashed his dog after she refused to get down on the ground, Siobhan overreacted and froze them both on the spot. His partner, alarmed, radioed for assistance to subdue her while she made a run for into the city, Metropolis to be exact, and found out that she was susceptible to random coughing fits.

Considering how her legs were still recovering from the abuse they received at Joker's hands just hours ago, she was in no condition to continue running on foot. Siobhan couldn't abuse her powers like she normally did, so travelling by land was the only remaining option.

Escape by horseback was what she eventually came up with. A normal horse could've never outrun a police car even if it tried, but the horse she was on technically wasn't even horse.

She was almost out of the city and not one officer had opened fired on her. They yelled and made threats over a bullhorn at her, but that was pretty much it.

Metropolis was so much more less violent than Gotham. It made her think, just for a moment, why were there people still living in Gotham? Wouldn't they prefer a safe urban haven like Metroplis instead, she though tiredly.

The city was brighter and cleaner. Minimal graffiti and tagging. The parks were filled with trees and there was barely any litter in sight. Nice looking schools and suburban areas. There was the occasional community center every other block. It was a very nice city in general.

Up ahead, a white van blocked her path. Several police officers rushed out the back clad in full riot gear. Siobhan was just about to take a right when she spotted two of them pull out a grenade each and pull the pin-

"The Mister and Missus sends their regards."

(Belfast, Maine, August 15, 2012. 5:14 p.m.)

"Get ready," Green Arrow yelled. "They're coming."

The Team was split into groups of three, each led by Aquaman, Green Arrow, or Black Canary, and were assigned to a designated city along the coast. From there, they would move towards the inland, disarming each explosive pinpointed on a specific segment of the map given to them.

Robin, along with Miss Martian, was in Green Arrow's team, running around in the sewers under Belfast, Maine. They had already deactivated the bomb, taking care to remove the container of gas from the device and destroying the rest of it because they didn't want to risk it.

There was always something else when one plays with the Joker.

However, getting out of the sewers was another problem. With the other manholes sealed shut and the passageways lined with booby-traps and forced dead ends, their only option was to find the manhole they came in from and exit from there, which was annoyingly difficult with the amount tampering done to the passages themselves.

Robin let a few batarangs fly, unhinging a hidden taser in the process and taking out the small guns mounted on the walls as well.

"I had that," groaned their League team leader. "Whatever."

They almost at the opened manhole though. Miss Martian flew through it, taking in all the fresh air that she could while Robin and Green Arrow were still making their way out.

"We've got five hours, forty-seven minutes left. It's going to take about forty minutes at top-speed to get to Augusta," Robin checked his wrist computer for any known shortcuts, but found no luck. "What do we do?"

Arrow laughed. "No problem. I know a way around this problem, but you can't ever tell Bats. Ever. Ok?"

They didn't have any time to spare, so Robin and Miss Martian went along with it. It was actually brilliant, in a lazy sort of way.

The League, especially Batman, had made it clear on more than one occasion that the Zeta-Tubes were not a convenient method of transportation to abuse. However, heroes like the Flash or Captain Marvel would sometimes find themselves to lazy to manually travel to wherever they needed to go, and would go back and forth between the Watchtower and Earth in their efforts to run errands, personal or otherwise.

"Sure beats driving on those rugged roads," Green Arrow sighed, rubbing his bottom. "I swear I could've gotten butt burn if I had to endure it for another hour."

Miss Martian shrugged. "Let's go."

(Metropolis, August 15, 2012. 4:37 p.m.)

The sound of glass shattering violently cut through the noise of the sirens, stunning the pursuing officers giving chase to the mystery person on the glass horse. They saw the explosion go off and immediately expected the worst, but it never touched them.

Their hero shielded them from the brunt of the hit, neverminding the flying glass and small bits of debris, even going as far to take out the impersonators, disarming and stripping them of their uniforms, and revealing the jagged smiles smeared onto their faces with makeup.

Then she collapsed onto the ground.

"Hey! Hey," Wilmson got out of his car, bracing the freezing cold outside, to attend to this person, bearing in mind that she had superpowers. His hand inched towards the gun in his holster as he approached the body on the street.

"I'm Officer Paul Wilmson of the MPD-"

The person coughed violently and propped herself up, spewing a mouthful of blood onto the pavement while clutching her head. She held up a hand to signal that she was ok and stood up slowly, wiping at the corners of her mouth daintily.

"Hey, we're gonna get you to the hospital, kid," Wilmson put a hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture, smiling. "You're gonna be-"

He felt something hard slam into him, heard something crack too. He saw the girl, a stick of person, say something to him and disappeared in a sudden cloak of fog, leaving only the sound of hooves cantering on the ground.

_"Don't touch me."_

(St. Johnsbury, Vermont, August 15, 2012. 6:29 p.m.)

While Green Arrow took care of the next bomb, Robin and Miss Martian found themselves battling a small army of goons, wearing the distinctive red lipstick smile of a certain psychopath. Armed to the teeth, they came at the teens with weapons ranging from a simple nail through a board to a military grade gatling gun.

_"Things will sort themselves out,"_ M'gann's voice rang through his head. _"I know it."_

_"What exactly are we talking about here,"_ Robin asked, trying to maintain some semblance of mental composure. _"Did K.F. tell you something?"_

Noticing a man sneaking up from behind with a _sword,_ he kicked it out of his hand and finished it with a devastating sucker punch before ducking behind a wall while Miss Martian stopped a rain of bullets from hitting them.

_" . . . No, but I can sense it. What's wrong. Is it about Siobhan?"_

_"No. We're all worried about her. But it's gonna have to wait until after this. On your left."_

_"Thanks."_ The Martian girl telekinetically forced an attacker to the ground and made two more collide into each other, their guns hitting the floor with a heavy clatter. _"She's going to be alright. You know she can take care of herself."_

_"I know,"_ he said, throwing down some gas pellets. Picking off individual attackers with a crowbar he picked up, he made short work of the remainder of the goons, making sure that they wouldn't be getting up for a while.

Miss Martian gave him a look and turned to watch as Green Arrow removed the container from the bomb and place it gently on the floor.

"You wanna do the honors here," he put his tools away, grinning as he stared at the device as it was crunched up into a ball of metal and wires by Miss Martian. "So are we all done here?"

"Pretty much," Robin checked his computer, counting the number of dots on his map that had stopped blinking. Counting the one that they just took out, there was only eighteen bombs left and about four hours on the clock. Each team should have at least one or two more to deactivate before the twelve hours were up.

"Whoa. Captain Atom says Hawkwoman nabbed Harley Quinn at Harrisburg," Arrow pressed a finger on his earpiece, listening intently. "Poison Ivy's been spotted a few times at Pittsburgh and Albany. No word on the clown. . . . What? There's been a report of an attack in Metropolis. A major assault on the cops. One's been injured so bad that they had to put him in the ICU. Apparently, they met some kind of horseman of apocalypse or something."

"Did someone get a good look at the face," Robin asked pointedly.

"No. The guy who did is the one in intensive care right now. The rest of the force is on the look out for the assailant."

_"M'gann, wasn't the checkpoint in Metropolis assigned to Red Tornado and Icon?"_

_"I guess . . . But you're not saying that-"_

Robin grimaced. _"I'm not sure. I was just thinking that it could-"_

_"I know." _

Either way, they'd eventually find out what happen, but they'd have to get through today first.

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><p><strong>Shitz-Suji:<strong> DID I MAKE EVERYONE TOO OOC? I FELT LIKE I DID. After a year of hiatus, it feels good to be back though. So much to read, so much to write, so little time to do both. I feel like I got really, really, really rusty, but I'll edit it soon. Can I just say that I miss sitting in front of a computer and not have to write papers?

Anyways, major Poison Ivy coming soon. And a badass team-up from Artemis and Aqualad. And general badassness from everyone else. I'll be back soon. Constructive criticism please~


	23. Chapter 23

**Shitz-Suji: **I'm so burnt out from school. The American Education system has taken its toll on me (bruh like chill). So done. Sorry I haven't updated in so very long. Enjoy~

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><p>(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, August 15, 2012. 5:34 p.m)<p>

From the start, Poison Ivy knew splitting up was a terrible idea. Three versus the entirety of the Justice League? What the hell was the Joker even thinking?

Harley was the first to get taken down. Her insane frontal-assault on Hawkwoman attracted the attention of not only Hawkman, but Captain Atom and Green Lantern as well. Ivy recieved her friend's call for help, but arrived in time to watch Hawkwoman knock her aside like a bowling pin.

And Captain Atom had seen her.

Exhausted and wounded from previous skirmishes with the local authorities and Batman, she was forced to retreat into the sewers, the toxicity of the sewer waters making her bare feet tingle in the most painful of ways. She had to make it out of the city and back to the hideout.

Wait it out.

Let the bombs do their work. Once everyone was dead, she could rescue Harley, watching the East Coast being repopulated with live greenery and letting it spread westward.

"Search in teams! If you encounter her, do not engage! Shoot your emergency flares," shouted someone from above ground. "I want her found, people!"

The water burned painfully around her feet, opening up sores in her delicate green skin. But she ran with all she had, desperate to get out.

(East Gotham, August 15, 2012. 6:31 p.m)

"Ok, gang! We got the east checkpoint in Gotham. So after we're done here, we make our way through Gotham to Virginia," Green Arrow explained. "Black Lightning can't handle the crowd by himself and the whole place pretty much fell to the dogs after the whole bomb threat was made public."

Robin blanched. Crowd control was not something up his alley. Adults usually ignored directions from a fourteen year old kid, even if the kid was an established hero and partner to one of the house names of the hero world. But he wasn't tooting his own horn. Crowd control just sucked in general.

"Let's get a move on. I can't imagine how bad the east district of Gotham is right now," the archer shuddered as if a horrible memory suddenly came surging back into his brain. "The faster we get through this, the better."

Somehow, Robin couldn't blame him. East Gotham was the epitome of a poverty-stricken slum. The GCPD placed it on the top of their list for "risky neighborhoods". But twenty years ago, it used to be an industrial area where processing plants and trucking depots covered the map. Now, most of the crime families of Gotham have at least one to two fully-functional money laundering businesses or crack houses in the abandoned buildings.

It had been more or less deserted by the time they arrived. The streets were empty, with only the occasional stray slinking back and forth between trash containers for scraps.

The team rounded a corner and stopped in front of a large, abandoned biomedical engineering plant. Green Arrow blew down the doors and ran in to check if it was safe. Only when he gave the ok did Robin and Miss Martian follow him in, bursting through the still smoking doors into a loading area.

Arrow connected the wiring in the circuit box, marveling at the still functioning lights and automated lifts that were creaking in an almost universal groan of effort to move again. On the walls were jagged lines, savagely carved into the metal and lined by years of filth and dust.

"Creepy," he muttered, his hand trailing the jagged edges of words, displacing dust and spiders alike.

"Yeah. This is suppose to be a biomedical lab, but my scanner is picking up on something below, like a secret room or something," Robin tapped away on his wrist computer, navigating his way through the processing area into a small office, where the entire back wall gave way to a pair of steel doors.

"How-" Miss Martian began, but Robin brushed passed her, his attention divided between the security keypad mounted to the wall and his wrist computer.

"I tapped into the building's security software and I found this anomaly in the coding which opened up the map of whatever's below. There's only one way in and out. Through that elevator, which I can't get opened because the encryption code is layered."

"The bomb's signal seems to be coming from down there, so we need get to it quick." Arrow checked the time and cringed. "Miss Martian, pull back the doors."

(Washington D.C., August 15, 2012. 6:58 p.m)

From the outside, the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle was a quaint looking structure, its modest architecture allowing it to pass off as a unsuspecting school or town building. The interior, however, was an entirely different sight to behold. Its walls were inscribed with beautiful paintings and artworks reminiscent of the Renaissance period, and bathed with an almost ethereal flow of light coming from the windowed dome ceiling.

The nuns and priests had their heads bowed in prayer, their hands folded neatly while they prayed to God in silent piety. At the altar, the monsignor had his hands strung up towards the ceiling as if he was in the middle of a sermon. And on the altar table, in blatant mockery to the present scene, was the bomb, an ugly hunk of metal and plastic that juxtaposed with the regalness of the cathedral itself.

"I can almost smell an ambush already," Artemis muttered as she drew her bow. "This is so not good."

Black Canary cautiously tipped over a nun and examined her vitals, smearing the painted-on smile on her face by accident. "They're alive. Unconscious, but alive."

"We have to get them out to somewhere safe and disarm the bomb. There is not much time left," Aqualad sheathed his water-bearers and shifted over an unconscious priest. "But moving them all out of here will be a challenge."

"No kidding, Aqualad. There should be close to a thousand people in here," the blonde archer scoffed, her eyes scanning her surroundings for any sight of danger. "Let's go and take out th-"

"No. We don't want the people to be caught in the crossfire when a trap goes off. Nor do we want to do any damage to the cathedral," Canary added pointedly as she gently laid down the woman. From the corner of her eye, she saw trip line and called out to Artemis, who had been backing away from the altar towards the line.

"STOP!"

But she heard it snap and immediately, the church organ roared to life with a cacophonous off-key rendition of "Hail the Holy Queen".

The unconscious Monsignor suddenly perked up and stared blankly at the heroes, his arms and legs flapping in tangent with the thin cables that suspended and kept him upright.

"_All rise and let us pray," _began a raspy, hoarse voice, _"in the name of Crowned Clown of Gotham!"_

(East Gotham, August 15, 2012. 6:43 p.m)

With a wave of her arms, the Martian girl wrenched the doors apart, ducking as a cloud of dust stirred from the disturbance. When it cleared, Robin peered down and coughed as the stale air began to flow into the office.

"It's real deep down there," Arrow said. "I'll go on ahead. If I need any help, I'll radio for help."

But as he aimed his grappling gun towards the roof of the shaft, Robin stopped him.

"This could be a trap."

"I know," the older hero replied pointedly.

"No. Just think about it. Joker would never put a bomb down there. It's too deep down there. Even if it exploded, the gas would've never made it to the top," Robin explained. "This has to be a trap."

" . . . You could be right, but something is still down there and we need to make sure it's not dangerous. I'm going down."

Before either Robin or Miss Martian could protest, Green Arrow winked and jumped in, a grappling cable hooking onto a ledge a few seconds later.

"_He's going to need backup-"_

"_I know. Let's go."_

They rejoined him shortly after in front of another door. The Boy Wonder quickly hacked into the keypad and disabled the security system and code, allowing them access inside what was supposed to be the most bizarre laboratory he had ever stepped in.

"There's no way this is legal," Arrow drew his bow and cautiously ducked around a pile of tangled wires and computers. In his haste to move around, he bumped into the corner of a desk and dropped a box full of files.

Not too far away was a device attached to a timer. There was no bomb attached, but as soon as Miss Martian touched it, the counter began tick backwards. As soon as it reached zero, the top popped off, revealing a treasure trove of research materials and data.

There were journals, reports, videos documentations, biological samples, and photographs. Robin picked up a file labelled _'Project Shiver'_ and skimmed through its contents.

"Look," Miss Martian said quietly. In her hands was a framed photograph of a family sitting for a Christmas photo. She pulled the picture out of the cracked frame and examined it, turning it around to find the words _'The Laurent Family, 1990. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year' _written in neat handwriting on the back.

Robin reached for it and turned it back around. He recognized Vincent Laurent's face, along with his wife's. Their two children, a son and a daughter, sitting neatly on their parents' laps in their Sunday best.

However, something about Mrs. Laurent seemed eerily familiar. It could've been the shape of her face or the pout of her mouth, but a shared characteristic between her and her three year old daughter quickly made Robin pick up the _Project Shiver_ file and read through it carefully this time.

_Specimen #S10B08N_

_Donor Genes from: Sophia Ilene Laurent_

_Completed: 17 September, 1995_

_Terminated: 10 November, 1995_

_Supervising Head of Development: Daniel Liu_

_Notes: Internal organ system fairly functional. Cellular irregularities not found. Specimen is prone to hallucinations and fainting. Highly aggressive towards treatment staff._

(Washington D.C., August 15, 2012. 7:26 p.m)

It was hard to avoid damaging church property, but throwing people against walls was an inevitable thing in a hardcore fight, and frankly, some of the thugs who thought it'd be funny to light communion wine on fire deserved it.

"Artemis, Maneuver Seven!"

"On it!" She took a running start and leapt onto the small foothold Aqualad made with his hands, aiming her crossbow into the sea of black robes that surrounded Canary. She managed take down seven before gravity took hold of her again.

Hearing the stumbling footsteps of an attacker coming from behind, she ducked down as the assailant swung forward with the butt of shotgun and sprung upward to uppercut him. A whip of water lashed out, incapacitating two other attackers coming from behind.

"Ugh, I'm running out of arrows!" The archer kicked a baseball bat from the hands of a persistent nun, incapacitating her with a smack to the knees. A gasp escaped through her clenched jaw as she fell on a pew, red makeup rubbing on the mahogany.

Nearby, Aqualad was having a go at a goliath sized man stuffed in a too-small robe, scaling walls and latching onto a light fixture. Before his opponent could pull a gun out on him, he jumped, slamming the butt of his water-bearers into the man's face.

The giant dropped to his knees, clutching his nose as blood and mucus streamed from his facial orifices. Dazed and in pain, he did not notice Artemis around him and raise her bat.

One hard swing later, he fell on an unfortunate soul who thought it would be a good idea to ambush Aqualad while he was distracted.

"Well, he's out cold," Artemis confirmed, nudging a meaty arm with her shoe. "Good luck getting out from under there."

(Washington D.C., August 15, 2012. 7:19 p.m)

While the kids were squaring off with Joker's 'flock', Black Canary took to disarming the bomb. She tore through heaps of decorative wires until she reached the real bomb. After cutting the appropriate wires, she carefully separated the container of gas from the device and cut the final wire connecting it to the detonator.

When she finally looked up, she met eyes with Artemis and Aqualad and nodded, indicating that they did a good job keeping the enemy occupied while she did her job. Canary, however, did note the small crater in ornate wall and the several destroyed pews on which, several unconscious bodies rested.

"Help me cut down the Monsignor," she grabbed a stray arrow off the altar and began to saw at the ropes. Aqualad took care of the other three and administered first aid, cleaning his bleeding wrists and ankles, while Canary created a makeshift splint for his broken leg.

The real nuns and priests had been subdued and hidden away in the basement, apparently having been shouting for help for the past twenty minutes when they became aware of a conflict happening above them. Once their restraints were cut and they made sure everyone was alright, they called for medical help and tended to the Monsignor, thanking the heroes for what they did and overlooking the damage they did for now.

"_Come in, Black Canary. Are you there,"_ the radio piece in her ear cracked with static, but she heard Batman's voice loud and clear.

"I'm here. We've taken care of our end. What's your status," she asked.

"_All accounted except for one. Harley Quinn has commandeered a bomb in Harrisburg and no one can get near it."_

"I thought Harley was taken out."

"_She ambushed the two Leaguers who were guarding her. We need you and your team to backup Green Lantern and Plastic Man. I'll send you their locations."_

"Got it. We'll be there soon," she said.

(East Gotham)

_Specimen #S10B14N_

_Donor genes from: Sophia Ilene Laurent_

_Completed: 14 December, 1997_

_Terminated: N/A_

_Supervising Head of Development: Michelle Vargas_

_Notes: Cellular irregularities not found. Cryokinetic abilities stable. Behavioral irregularities not found._

So that was the Joker meant by _'science experiment'_. Siobhan was a genetic clone of Sophia, but souped up with modified genes and cryokinetic abilities.

"I can't believe that they could do something so . . . so cruel," Miss Martian whispered. "His own daughter."

"Sophia died of pneumonia in 1990. Whatever came after that is not Sophia." Robin put down the files he was reading and pulled up a map. "I need the coordinates of that video transmission."

"'_Whatever came after that is Siobhan. Our teammate."_

He stopped what he was doing and look at M'Gann. _"But she went rogue and could've _killed_ people, the exact people responsible for creating her. And for all we know, she could be in with the Joker and his entourage-"_

"_Until they beat her half to death, Robin." _The Martian girl thrust a handful of photos into his hand. _"I know you feel angry that she didn't tell us what she was doing, but you don't know the whole story yet."_

(East Gotham, August 15, 2012. 7:06 p.m)

For a second there, Green Arrow thought he saw something move from the corner of his eye. It was big and it had ducked inside of the cryo chambers room.

"Hey guys, I think we might have some company," he shouted, trying to get the teens to snap out of their mental argument.

It took a few seconds, but when they come to attention, he was almost at the entryway with an arrow notched up in his bow.

He fired first and reloaded with an exploding trick arrow once he heard it deflect from movement of some kind. What he expected was a counter attack or a defensive maneuver, not a blast of fire coming from inside. But Green Arrow already felt the bowstring release from his fingertips, and knew full well he should jump away before the imminent explosion caught up with and ended him.

But the whoosh of fire he was anticipating never happened. Instead, some punk he'd never seen before walked out with his hands up high, surrendering without a fight.

"I can't believe it," he said quietly, head down.

Arrow didn't lower his bow in the slightest degree. Something didn't feel right here. He saw a crumpled Joker card in his right hand and pulled his bowstring back. "Kid, you best tell us who you are and why you came down here," he warned. "I don't want anymore surprises."

"The name's Oswald Landegre. Oswald Landegre _Laurent_," he said the last part bitterly. "I'm looking for _her_."

"Get in line, buddy. You're not the only after her. Did that clown send you down here?"

Oswald's right arm ignited in fire. It ran down the length of his arm and concentrated in his hand. "And what if he did? You're not all stupid enough to try to stop me from leaving, right?"

"And what if we are," Robin quipped.

"Then I'll kill us all," was his only reply.

(Claymont, Delaware, August 15, 2012. 7:11 p.m)

_Nine hundred . . . . Nine hundred forty-four._

It was happening again.

The hallucinations.

They come and go in intervals. Each stronger and more vivid than the last.

_. . . Nine hundred thirty seven._

_Nine hundred thirty._

"_I don't care if you look like a fucking kid! If you're in Arkham, you're just as dangerous as the rest of these fuckers!"_

No. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. Not again. Please, she begged herself, please don't wander. Not again.

"_That's because she is a fucking kid! Get away from-"_

Before she knew it, she was staring into the eyes of Dr. Aaron Carver, the head of security at Arkham Asylum. He grabbed her chin, squeezing it hard so she'd open her mouth so he could thrust in a rubber mouth guard. She bit him.

_Nine hundred twenty-three._

"_You little shit!"_ He slapped her hard across the face, his ring cutting into her cheek. She felt blood running from her nose.

Carver grabbed her by the collar, raising her off the chair she was strapped to, and made her look at the beaten faces of Inmate 3540 and Inmate 2896. _"WHO STARTED THE FIGHT?!"_

Beside her, Ivy was being restrained by the orderlies, screaming. _"She doesn't know! She never saw! Get the fuck away from her!"_

The next thing she knew, she was being shocked. It started off as an unpleasant tingle, becoming more and more painful as the volts increased. She could hear Ivy screaming, just barely though.

_Nine hundred sixteen._

Honestly, if she closed her eyes, it would seem as nothing happened at all. Pretend as if everything was alright.

"_I hear nothing."_

"_I see nothing."_

When Siobhan came to, she found herself in the fetal position on the side of the road. Her neck was covered in scratches and wasn't healing. And as she tried to stand up, the motion was too much and she doubled over, spitting out blood and bile.

"_I want to die."_

(East Gotham. August 15, 2012. 7:24 p.m)

"Let me tell you something, kid. The world doesn't work in black and white. You gotta learn how to see all the colors-"

Oswald sauntered back into the cryo room, coming back out with a familiar metal container in his hand. "Recognize this?" He put it on the ground and backed away. "That's _one_ empty can of Joker gas. Pick up the top."

Assuming it was empty since Oswald was fine from being in close proximity with it, Robin cautiously approached the container and pried open the top. It was empty like he said.

"What's under there," he heard Miss Martian ask.

Robin turned over lid he was holding and found a digital timer counting down three and a half hours from now. But he thought-

"That there is the real bomb. It's automated. The thing you took out was a really elaborate dud. Disarm it." The older boy tossed a pair of pliers over to him.

"Why are you telling us this?" Confused as he was, the Boy Wonder had thought Oswald was on the Joker's side. Or pretty much on the side of anyone who was against the League.

"Don't think I'm capable of doing the right thing?. I've been watching this thing go down from the start," he retorted, holding out the crumpled card. "The only reason I'm here now is because she made me promise to help you guys out if things go to shit."

"If you guys knew for so long, why didn't you tell anyone? This could've been prevented if people knew what was going to happen!"

"Oh, I tried," Oswald spat. "But when you've got a bounty on your head, your options are very limited. But instead of wasting time with me, don't you have something else to take care of?"

"Where are you going," Arrow kept his bow trained on the boy, pulling back the bowstring ever so slightly.

"To find my sister, but that's none of your business anyways."

(Hartford, Connecticut, August 15, 2012. 7:54 p.m)

"_All teams, do you copy?" _

On her way to Harrisburg, Black Canary could hear Green Arrow's voice through the static in her earpiece. She radioed in and confirmed her coordinates when Arrow dropped a bomb of his own on them.

"_Go back. We've been messing with fake explosives. The real one is in the can with the Joker Venom. It's a military grade hydrogen compound."_

She immediately turned her bike around, listening to the clamor happening through her radio and checked her clock.

Two hours left.

* * *

><p><strong>Shitz-Suji: <strong>So I know I created a lot of questions(?) but trust me, it will work out in the end. I promise. I'm forever done with school and won't start again until September, which gives me a lot of time now to finish stuff. (YEEEEEE SON). Until then. Constructive criticism and/or review. Danke~


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